The abuse of drugs has been prevalent for over centuries now, and continues to persist despite counter efforts.  This growing issue has greatly affected the society and economy we live in, but more importantly the lives of millions of people that suffer from the disease. This is a serious problem and there has to be a way to fix it, but are we as a community taking the right steps to do so? In order to instigate this change, a multitude of requirements will need to take place. This includes overall education on addiction, getting rid of the stigma, and even the change in punishment for addicts that encounter the law. People can not expect change without taking the steps to implement the change. This problem is not going to fix itself and time has proved that to be true. The lack of knowledge and confusion around drug addiction, as well as unreliable forms of treatment, can be accredited with the growing abuse of drugs.

In order for people to see the need for change, they must first understand the disease of addiction. Without knowing the detriment attributed to addiction, nothing would drive the push for a change. First and foremost, regardless of the disagreements, it needs to be know that addiction is medically recognized as a disease. This is due to the way it affects and changes brain patterns, and when gone untreated, can cause mental and physical problems requiring medical attention. In the book Truth of Addiction: Understanding the Science of Addiction, it states that after the consumption of drugs, “The brain reacts in a defensive manner because it likes to keep every component and structure in balance. When parts of the brain are thrown off it's natural homeostatic state, it compensates in other ways” (Roberts, 15). This compensation comes from the reward system, the part of the brain that produces pleasure. What this means is that over time the brain is less and less likely to produce these pleasures, requiring more drugs to do so. This creates a cycle where the addict consumes drugs more and more in order to combat their diminishing natural pleasures. This continuation progressively worsens and makes it harder for the victim to be in control of their own decisions.

While addiction is nationally recognized as a disease, not all medical professionals agree that this should be so. Sally Satel, a licensed psychiatrist and professor at Yale, compares the lack of self control in addicts to that of Alzheimer’s victims. Both are brain altering diseases but lack much similarity. she claims that, unlike a victim of Alzheimer’s, an addict will still react towards consequences and rewards thus making them competent to make a decision. Satel states, “No amount of reinforcement or punishment can alter the course of an entirely autonomous biological condition.” (Satel). This statement is my issue with Satel’s argument. Not all brain diseases are the same or even remotely similar, therefore making it illogical to claim one as not being a disease due to its differences from another. Another insert in Truth of Addiction says, “Addiction has been called a chronic relapsing disease by scientists because of these brain changes that make relapsing seem inevitable” (Roberts, 39) This quote presents another flaw in her argument. If relapse is seemingly inevitable, that would make a form of treatment necessary. Regardless of the way the disease is acquired, if help is needed in ridding the person of it, then it is in fact a disease.

In consideration of addiction being a disease, it is important to understand that it is affecting more and more people despite treatment efforts. In 1969, President Nixon declared a “war on drugs” in an attempt to combat the growing epidemic. Today, over 45 years later, the problem still remains and is worsening. The NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) stated in 2013 that after a their annual survey, “an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month. This number is up from 8.3 percent in 2002” (NIDA). That is a rise in 1.1 percent of the population and further proves that illicit drug use is growing. While that use continues to trend upward, a gap between the amount of people needing treatment versus the ones whom actually receive it has begun to stick out. In the same survey taken in 2013, “an estimated 22.7 million Americans needed treatment for a problem related to drugs or alcohol, but only about 2.5 million people received treatment” (NIDA). This statistic is astonishing. It shows that a measly 11 percent of the people needing treatment received it. Therefore, our nation is increasingly using illicit drugs, but not getting the treatment they need to rid themselves from the use. With that being said, it is highly unlikely that all 22.7 million people even sought the treatment they needed, and that is a problem that the entire population can help to fix.

The first step in motivating people to seek treatment and get the help they need is to rid our society of the stigma that surrounds drug addiction. Our society tends to turn their nose towards people that suffer from addiction. For instance, the terms “crackhead” and “junkie” are often spoken in relation to addicts. This is all part of the stigma, or the shame on addiction and its victims. An addict is much less likely to seek help or even admit that they have a problem if they feel that problem will affect his/her reputation in society. Michael Botticelli, former Director of National Drug Control Policy and a recovering addict himself says in a TedTalk, “(addiction) is not talked about openly and honestly. It's whispered about. It's met with derision and scorn. We hear these stories, time and time again, on TV, online, we hear it from public officials, and we hear it from family and friends. And those of us with an addiction, we hear those voices, and somehow we believe that we are less deserving of care and treatment” (Botticelli). This stigma has caused addicts to turn away from help in fear of judgement and ridicule. No other disease is viewed as a nuisance to society like drug addiction is and due to this we see the drastic consequences of untreated addiction. This can entail countless trips to emergency rooms and hospitals, institutions, jails/prisons and even death. 

The stigma surrounding drug addiction, even though having caused problems in treatment, was not developed in bad intentions. The negative connotation associated with addiction was started in an attempt to keep people from using drugs in the first place and to not accept the use as being okay. Stigmas are better aimed to help in prevention than treatment. Efforts to prevent the initial use of drugs are important but when they hamper the likelihood of someone addicted to seek treatment, that becomes a problem.

In order to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction, efforts will need to be made by the entire community. This stigma is not limited to being created by doctors or medical professionals, but also T.V., family and the general public. This meaning a group effort is required for the problem to be solved. Steps taken in order to achieve this include the use of compassion over judgement in all aspects related to drug addiction. It is important that victims of addiction feel like a human being, as opposed to a “crackhead”, “junkie” or any other stereotypical term coined by the addiction stigma. In the article Shaming The Sick, Lauren Villa M.P.H., lists out ways for our community to reduce the effects of stigma. These include, “Displaying kindness to people in vulnerable situations… Treating people with drug dependency with dignity and respect.… Doing your research; learning about drug dependency and how it works…(etc)” (Villa). These things listed do not require a substantial amount of effort from our society, they do not require money or a great sacrifice in time. Getting rid of the stigma only requires a small subtle change in the way people view and treat drug addicts, as well as an understanding of addiction. Fortunately, that small change and understanding can positively influence the number of addicts that seek out treatment.

Another crucial part of treatment success can be attributed to prisons and a reformation to the system it uses to punish addicts. Many substance abusers that have encountered the law have suffered some sort of consequences for their addiction behavior. These consequences often result in receiving tickets and jail time, but how does this help someone to move on from a life of drugs? The answer is that it does not. The Advances in Psychology and Law textbook states and asks, “Drug addiction hinders the hope of rehabilitation praised by some professionals working within the prison setting. How can we hope to diminish an individual’s repeat offending without giving help to solve drug addiction” (Redondo, 370). Redondo asks a very valid question here. Without the use of addiction treatment while incarcerated, the victim will not benefit from their time spent there. This then turns into another vicious cycle involving multiple incarcerations with no improvement to show for. This explains Redondo’s statement that, “1 in every 3 inmates suffer from addiction” (Redondo, 370). While this statistic was taken in the 1990’s, that number has now soared up to 65% in 2014, and when adding in crimes that are associated with drugs, the number rises to 85% (Sack). If drug addiction requires treatment, and 65% of inmates are medically considered addicts, then a change needs to be made in our prison system in order to better serve the majority of its population. It is important to note that when addicts are around other addicts, particularly in a negative setting like prison, they tend to feed off one another. If an addict is looking for someone to help them get sober, prison is not the place to be. This is quite contradicting to the purpose of prison in general. 

Upon leaving prison, addicts often walk away in worse condition than they were in before. They now are forced to pay off any fines or medical bills from their arrest. They are also left to find a new job on their own, which can present difficulties when employers notice charges. Most importantly, they leave still bearing the evils of addiction. In a N.Y. Times article, Dr. Howard Samuels, a psychotherapist and CEO of a treatment center in California, talks about a man suffering from addiction leaving prison. He states that, “he (the man leaving prison) will just walk out—still imprisoned by the disease of addiction—and repeat the cycle like hundreds of thousands of other inmates who come out, only to go back into the system as repeat offenders” (Samuels). This is a common theme among inmates leaving prison. One victim of drug addiction stated in a interview that since leaving prison she “lives wherever she can” (AfterPrisonShow). This is often the case due to long stints in prison, broken relationships with loved ones and lack of money. Some argue that this forces the addict to quit their addiction in order to survive and be successful, but that is far from the case. In these circumstances, many addicts lose hope completely or had already lost it while in prison. This does not lead to a strive for change, but more so a life of crime. This life of crime often consists of selling drugs, robbing, and burglarizing in order survive and to supply their habit. Ultimately meaning that the lack of treatment negatively translates over into the free society. Due to this, it should be of concern to everyone that our prison system makes the changes needed to treat addicts properly.

The changes that need to be made in our prison system should be geared towards rehabilitation over punishment. An addict does not respond positively to forced sobriety. Therefore, prison systems need to approach treatment in a different way. In Truth of Addiction, Roberts states that “scaring someone into quitting, confronting them or persuading them to quit can be more detrimental than DOING NOTHING” (Roberts 1). Roberts further explains how the scare tactic does not work and instead favors something he calls “Motivational Interviewing” to help people move towards quitting. Roberts then states, “It is the individuals belief in the possibility to change that builds motivation towards it” (Roberts 95). To better simplify this, an addict needs to have hope for themselves, their future and their own capabilities if a positive change is to take place. Now, when looking at our nations current prison system, it is safe to say that it is far from a place that instills hope. Mackenzie Yaryura, a graduate student at Stanford, says, “When drug abusers are punished for a relapse, either by spending a short time in jail or facing extended prison time, the columns of strength that encourage their recovery, such as family support or job opportunities, begin to collapse” (Yaryura). Family and friends, as well as a strong support network, are cornerstones for recovery. Like Yaryura said, when these things are not accessible and jail time is implemented, those cornerstones tend to move away from the victim. Unlike punishment, rehabilitation does the opposite. The purpose of rehabilitation is to instill hope and to create new opportunities for recovering addicts.

Some jails/prisons are already implementing the change from punishment to rehabilitation and are receiving positive results. In Kentucky, there are two dozen county jails that have converted into “therapeutic communities” geared towards providing their inmates with the same treatment they would receive in the outside world (Quinones). The goal that this new jail system is looking to achieve is a community where inmates are vulnerable with one another as opposed to being the “biggest and baddest” guy in their pod. While some bumps in the road were hit in the beginning stages, Jason Merrick, a recovering addict in charge of the treatment unit, has seen substantial changes. Upon being interviewed by Sam Quinones of The NY Times, Merrick stated that, “the culture in (the treatment unit) evolved from predation to nurturing. I saw guys hugging, crying, admitting weakness, encouraging one another in public — behavior that is believed to be essential to recovery” (Quinones). This is a drastic change from the average prison society seen in America. A prison society that one inmate illustrated to Quinones as, “your most stressful day at work, multiply that by two or three, then imagine that every day… having to be on your guard. Always tense. Then you’re released from that. The first thing you’re going to take up is heroin” (Quinones). A valid point is made here and does help to give a person who has never been incarcerated an idea of what that may be like. It also provides another motive as to why an addict may chose to pick up again after serving time for it. The mission of these new jail systems is to completely rid inmates of fear and hostility in favor of an environment that is supportive and understanding.

Lack of education on drug addiction, in addition to unsuccessful treatment procedures, are to blame for the growing drug addiction epidemic. The more people that understand drug addiction, the more people will favor alternative treatments. Moving forward, our society needs to make a conscious effort to understand the problem rather than shun it. No more “war on drugs’’ no more “lock them up and throw away the key”. In doing this, a new society can bloom. A society that sees hope instilled in each individual that suffers from the disease of addiction. It is easy to get caught up in the stigma surrounding the disease, but drug addicts are humans too. As a community, efforts need to be made to ensure these human beings receive the proper treatment they require.
