To beat addiction and alcoholism, doctors must treat the causes as well as the consequences I asked the senior partner of a large group medical practice how many of their patients were illegal drug users or people who consumed alcohol to damaging levels. The reply was, 'Well, we've certainly got three'. The UK market in illegal drugs is estimated to be 6bn a year, with 1bn for cocaine alone. The drug testing firm Concateno estimates that one million people, one in 30 of all employees, are going to work with drugs - most commonly cannabis, opiates and cocaine - in their system. Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Comissioner of the Metropolitain Police, says that many drug users are in employment in responsible positions and that a significant amount of money spent on drugs comes from crime. The Department of Health estimates that every year alcohol costs the UK 21bn. This total comes from 11bn in crime, 3.5bn in the NHS and 7.3bn in lost productivity. The UK market in illegal drugs is estimated to be 6bn a year, with 1bn for cocaine alone The drug and alcohol problems in our society are absolutely vast. Yet our doctors generally do not want to acknowledge them. A former colleague of mine said to me that the work I do for drug addicts and alcoholics is 'not medical'. Evidently I should devote my time and attention to the medical consequences of drug and alcohol use, rather than to the underlying causes. I believe these to