LOOKING BACK: Dramatic rise in UK drug addiction

The Rhodesia Herald, November 25, 1965

LONDON. – A Government investigation team today proposed a clamp-down on Britain’s family doctors in an effort to quell a dramatic rise in drug addiction.

The investigators reported that heroin addicts increased from 68 to 342 and cocaine addicts rose from 30 to 211 between 1959 and 1964. The proportion aged under 35 rose from 11 percent to nearly 40 percent.

The report said a major source of drug supply was excessive prescription under the country’s National Health Service.

Doctors have complete freedom to prescribe drugs in any quantities they think fit. They do not have to notify the authorities that they are treating an addict. This avoids addicts turning to the black market for supplies.

The investigators, headed by a neurologist, Lord Brain, recommended that special centres be set up for treating addicts, with powers to detain them compulsorily if they tried to leave.

The report said doctors should be banned from prescribing drugs for addicts except at the centres.

It said that six British doctors had prescribed large amounts for individual patients. Two had given single prescriptions for 1,000 tablets. They had said they felt treatment facilities elsewhere were inadequate.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• The investigation suggests that some doctors may have been prescribing the drugs more liberally than necessary, which can lead to increased availability and potential misuse.
• The Government’s investigation into family doctors’ prescribing practices highlights a critical intersection between healthcare provision and public health concerns related to drug addiction.
• The investigation underscored the urgent need for policy changes and stricter controls on prescription practices within the National Health Service (NHS) to address the growing issue of drug addiction during this period.
• The measures were intended to mitigate the risk of over-prescription and ensure that patients received appropriate care without unnecessary exposure to potentially addictive medications.