Drug addiction gets a laugh

A new gay musical comedy in the US is aiming to turn the spotlight on the problem of drug addiction among the gay community, in a move that could convince many to head to a rehab clinic.

Atlanta is hosting a new play this month that focuses on the often-ignored issue of drug addiction within the gay community.

In a move that is aimed at getting more gay and lesbian people to confront their addiction problems and seek help and advice from rehab clinics, Mark and Richard King's Anita Will Recover musical launches this weekend.

Playwright Mark King came up with the idea for the play after suffering through his own experiences of drug and alcohol addiction, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

"[Title character] Anita is a character born out of all the worse qualities I displayed while I was using," he explained.

Experts in the US estimate that almost a third (30 per cent) of gays and lesbians abuse alcohol and drugs, which is almost three times above the rate for the general population.

However, the musical comedy aims to help people within the gay community who have drug problems to seek addiction treatment from rehab clinics.

It is also designed to bring the issue out into the open and give people suffering with addiction the chance to confront their problem rather than attempt to hide it away.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University at Buffalo in the US have suggested that nanoparticles could provide a new form of addiction treatment in future by turning off a gene that plays a key role in addicts' cravings.

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Drug addiction gets a laugh

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A new gay musical comedy in the US is aiming to turn the spotlight on the problem of drug addiction among the gay community, in a move that could convince many to head to a rehab clinic.

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