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Monday 29 October to Thursday 1 November
Britain's Deadliest Addictions follows three people addicted to different substances – alcohol, class A and prescription drugs – as they attempt to kick their habits under the supervision of experts at a leading detox clinic.
Presented by Krishnan Guru-Murthy and addiction psychologist Dr John Marsden, the series looks at the terrible effects of Britain's growing addiction epidemic and what addicts can do to break the cycle. Britain has the highest level of addiction in Europe and the scale of the problem is taking its toll on individuals, as well as society: every year 8,000 deaths are believed to be attributable to alcohol; and treating alcohol-related illnesses costs the NHS £18 billion.
Four programmes, stripped across one week, will transmit from the detox clinic as the patients are treated, charting the tough physical and psychological challenges they face as they take the first steps to getting their lives back on track. The series highlights the harsh realities of the different addictions and hears about the effects from families and friends, while the experts explain how people become addicted, how substances act on the body and mind, and what can be done to help.
