Society for the Study of Addiction


The Society for the Study of Addiction is a company dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, which has charitable status. It was founded in 1884 by Dr Norman Kerr who was the first president. It was originally named The Society for the Study and Cure of Inebriety and established in response to the 1879 Habitual Drunkards Act. "Cure" was dropped from the title in 1887, and it was renamed to the Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and other Drugs in 1946.
The organisation was originally restricted to qualified practitioners, but allowed others to be associates. This practice was lifted in 1959.
The company has funded trials to investigate the relationship between drugs and addiction. In January 2018, a Psychological Medicine report from such a trial showed the strength of cannabis sold in the UK had increased by 4% Tetrahydrocannabinol from 1994 to 2014.
In 1903 their publication became the "British Journal of Inebriety", later the "British Journal of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs" and finally just "Addiction".