"In addiction, there is a simple principle: to help someone move forward, we use gratification, not punishment."
Interview While the Minister of the Interior admits to having launched a "guilt campaign" against cocaine users, psychiatrists Amine Benyamina and Amandine Luquiens question our public policies in the fight against drug and alcohol consumption and take stock of new treatments.
Interview by Dominique Nora and Henri Rouillier
Amine Benyamina and Amandine Luquiens at the offices of “Le Nouvel Obs” in Paris, July 10, 2025. ARTHUR GAU FOR “LE NOUVEL OBS”
Amine Benyamina and Amandine Luquiens are psychiatrists specializing in addiction. The former is head of department at Paul-Brousse Hospital in Villejuif and chairs the Association Addictions France. The latter practices at Nîmes University Hospital and has just published the promising results of a pilot study (see box below) involving the use of psilocybin—found in hallucinogenic mushrooms—in the treatment of alcohol dependence and depression.
Last July, a report by Addictions France [ PDF ] showed how easy it is for minors to buy alcohol. Six months earlier, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau admitted to having launched a "guilt campaign" against cocaine users, contrary to the recommendations…
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