Introduction

Using terms of justification such as “corporate social responsibility” and “partnerships with the public health community,” the alcohol, tobacco, and gambling industries (mainly large producers, trade associations, interest groups, and social aspects organizations) fund a variety of scientific activities that involve addiction scientists or overlap with their work. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry funds clinical trials and supports other activities related to scientific research, such as the preparation of manuscripts and the sponsorship of lectures by speakers who investigate their products. The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the ethical challenges that have emerged from industry involvement in addiction science, particularly in relation to genetic research.

At the center of the ethical challenges are issues of trust, credibility, and conflict of interest. Trust in the addiction research world can be affected when commercial interests are perceived to outweigh health considerations. The credibility of scientific findings may be affected when evidence emerges that industry-sponsored research is flawed, biased, or methodologically weak. Conflict of interest is a situation in which the researcher has a personal or financial interest that may be put above the integrity of the research being conducted. After reviewing the extent of industry involvement in addiction research, we discuss the moral hazards of research funding from commercial interests, and offer ways in which individual investigators as well as professional organizations can work to minimize these risks.