The Government has asked the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) to look at the implications of future advances in the areas of brain science, addiction and drugs. Such developments may have wide-reaching implications for society over the next 20 years and we need to begin to address the issues now, both within and beyond Government.

The AMS is an independent body which promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are translated as quickly as possible into healthcare benefits for society. The Academy's 849 Fellows are the United Kingdom's leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service.

The AMS has convened a multidisciplinary working group that, in consultation with experts and the public, will consider the issues raised by the uses to which the new science and treatments may be put. As well as questions about the health and safety of individuals, there are wider ethical questions relating to the impact on wider society.