Matthew Perry and Peter Hitchens recently went head-to-head on Newsnight. The subject matter was addiction, and their viewpoints were at odds in every conceivable way.

I have some sympathy for Hitchens’ position on this particular topic. The fact remains that everybody has a choice, whether it’s to start taking a particular substance or to continue taking it.

There is clearly a debate to be had as to whether some people find it harder to stop and resist temptation than others, but can that really be considered an illness or a disease?

I remain on the fence, but I don’t think Hitchens should be shouted down in the way he was purely for questioning current thinking on the matter.