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Dr Kenneth Mullen
School of Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow

In this presentation I first briefly consider the standard biomedical model of addiction before giving an overview of the importance of the sociological approach in addressing the complexity of addictive problems in society. I consider the shifting historical context within the UK, and highlight the theoretical importance of the sociology of deviance for our understanding of 'moral panics' in regard to drug use.  I conclude by drawing out the implications of the sociological critique for research and teaching in this field. I present some findings from our recent research on mindfulness based relapse prevention in an alcohol treatment unit; and finally demonstrate how these ideas are useful when teaching medical students about the addictions and preparing them for their future medical practice.