In this presentation, Kevin McCarron, an experienced stand-up comedian and Doctor of Philosophy, will query, criticise, and mock the most cherished beliefs about alcoholism and drug addiction that have dominated Western discussions about addiction over the past century. In particular, he will argue that alcohol and cigarettes are not "highly addictive" substances, that alcoholism and drug addiction are not diseases, and that nobody "suffers" from alcoholism and drug addiction. He will further argue that it is not the case that "addiction can happen to anybody", and he will emphatically reject the unsubstantiated yet pervasive belief that drug addicts and alcoholics do not seek treatment because of the stigma surrounding dependency on these substances.