The Ethics of Addiction
THOMAS S. SZASZ M.D.1
1 Professor of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210
The author believes and attempts to demonstrate that "drug abuse" and "drug addiction" are moral rather than medical problems. The basic issue underlying these problems is: In a conflict between the individual and the state, where should the individual's autonomy end and the state's right to intervene begin? The author suggests that genuine commitment to the ethic of personal freedom and responsibility requires that, much as we may disapprove of a person's choice of drug, we must regard freedom of self-medication as a fundamental right.
