Preface

This volume has a dual focus: identifying the ethical issues and requirements related to carrying out genetically based research on addiction and specifying the ethical, legal, and public policy implications of the interpretation, translation, and application of this research. It is hoped that the book will contribute to more ethically sensitive research and more socially responsible policies.

A motivating factor in the development of the volume was the desire to fill an important gap in the literature. It has been thought that a better understanding of the genetic contributions to addiction could lead to more effective drugs to assist in cessation of alcohol and drug use with fewer adverse side effects and that genotyping could better match patients to existing pharmacological treatments for addiction. These hopes have fueled medical investment in this field of research. Like other types of behavioral genetics research, the manner in which genetics research associated with addiction is conducted, interpreted to the public, and then translated into clinical practice and policy initiatives raises important ethical, social, and legal issues. Given the sensitivity of genetic research, its potential for stigmatization, its implications beyond the individual subject for the family and in some cases a broader community of membership, there is a need to guard against genetic research being misunderstood and misused. Yet there has been little literature exploring the ethical requirements of this research and its implications for public policy.