The mere threat of Chapter 11 has also proved a useful weapon, albeit less potent.

ECONOMIST: The sick cope best with labour pains | The

Even in an imperfect system, the nuisance value of a threatened lawsuit is a useful weapon for the weak.

ECONOMIST: A survey of Russia

Thalidomide has outgrown its destructive early days to become a useful weapon in the fight against almost 130 diseases.

ECONOMIST: Thalidomide

Fuel duty has also served as a useful environmental weapon, since it accurately targets a pollutant and changes behaviour.

ECONOMIST: High petrol prices hurt, but will not throttle the economy

Traditional-treatment proponents and those who don't view addiction as a medical condition see these new drugs as mere crutches, but clinical doctors think they can be another useful weapon along with therapy.

FORBES: Reinventing Rehab