A normalised future of addiction

Abstract

This essay speculates about the possibility of a normalised future of addiction, where dependence on substances is no longer attached to a disease category or disordered identity. It draws on critical sociological literature addressing expectation and the moral economy of anticipation, as well as adopting a utopian perspective inspired by feminist and queer theory. It questions dominant discourses of technologised innovation in the addiction field, and instead sees openings towards a better future in the spaces and practices of harm reduction.