98. The Merseyside Experiment with John Marks

In this week's episode, we feature John Marks, an Addiction Psychologist who spearheaded the Merseyside experiment in northwest England from 1982 to 1995. Throughout this 13-year period, Marks fearlessly operated clinics in Liverpool, basing his practice on the long-term maintenance prescribing of opiates to opiate users.The high media profile of his work, set against the backdrop of febrile local politics in Liverpool, brought immense political pressure. This pressure eventually led to the closure of the clinics.Tune in to this episode as John Marks shares his first-hand experiences, recounting the challenges, triumphs, and controversies surrounding his work on the experiment. He provides insights into the intricacies of the UK's drug laws and discusses their impact on his experiment.Alcohol heroinMisuse of drugs act 1971The ‘Classic paper’ – The North Wind and the SunAccidy, Addiction and the ProhibitionElectroencephalographic Correlates of PsychometryEEG and PsychometryThe Cartesian Bridge: On the Psychology of Consciousness and the Psychopathology of Addiction and SchizophreniaNorth wind and the sunCounty linesSupport the podcast ★ Support this podcast ★