1. Stephen Harding. Academic Programme Coordinator. Diploma in Addiction Studies. Maynooth University.

2. There’s nothing rational about addiction.  Addiction doesn’t make sense to;  Those that ‘have it’.  Those that are affected by ‘those that have it’.  Politicians and Legislators.  Struggle for answers

3.  The Great Scottish Think-Tank. 2000  The Jury tries to reach a verdict.  From a simplistic Disease Theory to...  Addiction to Dependency to...  Biopsychosocial Model to...  Biopsychosocioenvirospiritu Model. And then there was the tortoise.

4.  The moon was a wonderful place when I was growing up. There was a possibility that it was made of cheese and inhabited by little green men and cows jumped over it every night and then...Neil Armstrong went and ruined it all by landing on it. Let’s hope we never find out exactly what causes addiction or it will negate the need for these type of gatherings. William Miller. (Somewhat tongue in cheek at closing ceremony)

5. “ One of the greatest errors that can be made by novice policy analysts is to assume that policy making is in any way a rational process.” (Stockwell 1993;538)

6.  1983; Special Government Task Force on Drug Abuse.. Main Finding.  Heroin epidemic could largely be attributed to social exclusion/environmental issues. Crucial Findings were covered up and instead the Individual Choice-Psychopathology ideals were ‘pedalled’ to explain heroin addiction.

7.  First Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Measures to Reduce the Demand for Drugs.  Strategic Management Initiatives adopted.  Cross Cutting different Departments.  New Policy Structures set up. Above all the impact that the environment played was recognised. Ps. We also brought out a National Alcohol Policy but no one really noticed.

9.  Most responsible people now recognise that there is nothing simple about Drugs and Alcohol Prevention and Education.  Some think that we just need to give people the FACTS and that’ll do.  Others unfortunately still think that Scary Stuff works.

12.  But the Drugs and Alcohol field are not the only ones... How about this...

14.  Far too often cast in the role of saviour.  Need to ask ‘What are we trying to prevent?’  Been seen to do something.  Over reliance on targeting children.  Evidence is fairly slim at best.  Never mind the quality...feel the width.  Many programmes are poorly designed...poorly executed...under funded...under evaluated.

15.  Universal prevention addresses general public or segment of entire population with average probability, risk or condition of developing disorder  Selective prevention Specific sub-population with risk significantly above average, either imminently or over lifetime  Indicated prevention Addresses identified individuals with minimal but detectable signs or symptoms suggesting a disorder

16.  Need to be innovative in getting at the ‘hard to reach’ targets.  It can be costly...time consuming...even frustrating...but people living with someone else’s addiction need to be treated as badly as the person themselves.  Need to skill up people who’s work or voluntary activities bring them in contact with addiction related issues.  Role Adequacy, Legitimacy and Support.

17.  Regardless of what we call it...addiction...dependency...abuse...  Whether its grounded in Social Learning or Conditioning Theory or even Disease...  The bottom line is...It hasn’t gone away.  Addiction destroys lives and removes choices for everybody.  Alcoholism may no longer appear in the Academics world...but it’s alive and well and torturing hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis.