BT - Policy 1: Drug treatments

• Alcohol abuse - The drug 'Antabuse' is used in aversion therapy (pairing an unwanted behaviour with discomfort). Antabuse prevents the body from breaking up alcohol, which immediately causes hangover symptoms.
• Heroin addiction - Methadone is used to treat addicts.
• Sex offenders - Stilbestrol is 'chemical castration' that has been used in prisons to treat male sex offenders. It is a female hormone that suppresses testosterone, which reduces mens sex drive.
• Effectiveness of these treatments:

  Antabuse - abstinence (do not partake) rate of more than 50%.

  Chemical castration - if a paedophile takes part in this programme, their thoughts will not change.

  Methadone - it can be difficult to withdraw from methadone as it is highly addictive itself.