This issue has been in the media a lot lately "drug addiction" crime or illness

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   sassydeeposted 10 years ago

   This issue has been in the media a lot lately "drug addiction" crime or illness
   
   Do you think it's a crime or illness (disease)!
   
   

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   Dave36posted 10 years ago

   Both a crime, & an illness in my opinion...A drug addict has already committed the crime on themselves, & now their ill....I'm talking about the normal person who is led by peer pressure by their mates or life etc, to try hard drugs in the first place....Once their addicted their no longer responsible for their actions as far as getting drugs anymore, but never the less should still be punished if committing crimes in the process of getting their drugs....So they should be helped, but also punished....I still say society is exactly how the Government wants it, & i'm pretty sure if our government was really bothered about it, they'd do something about stopping drugs coming into the country in the first place.

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   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   Laws create crimes.
   We as a society have (chosen) to enact laws against certain activities. It's only because drug use is illegal that it is a crime.
   Addiction on the other hand is not a choice. Not every drinker becomes an alcoholic and not every drug user becomes an addict. This would suggest there is something biologically or chemically taking place within the addict's brain that causes them to overdo a thing or crave it to the point of not being able to function without obsessively thinking about it.
   We  see people who weigh 400lbs and up to 800lbs. Clearly there is a "food addiction", someone who watches porn throughout the day and even doing so on their job, or another who has to go to the casino or racetrack multiple times a week to place bets is getting a "rush" that could cause them to jeopardize their relationships, employment, health, and financial stability has problems.
   We still consider lung cancer to be a disease even if a person (chose) to smoke cigarettes for 30 years! We also consider cirrhosis of the liver to be a disease even if that person (chose) to drink a bottle of scotch every night!
   The primary reason why we debate whether or not drug addiction is a disease is because drug use is illegal.
   We also tend to view "recreational" or "sin" activities differently than we do other things. Some people believe addicts (deserve) to be ill for what they've done to themselves and yet if a person dies from a heart attack due to their high fat and high cholesterol diet with no exercise regime we cut them some slack. It's not illegal to gorge on cheeseburgers/pizza & ice cream.

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      sassydeeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Very well stated

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   sheilamyersposted 10 years ago

   I guess I would say the act of getting addicted is the crime, but that only applies if the drugs are illegal, prescription drugs being taken by people who didn't have them prescribed to them, or people taking any drug (prescription or OTC) for the wrong reason (to get high instead of relieve the pain, cold symptoms, etc). I can't call someone who develops an addiction to prescription or OTC meds when they're being used properly a criminal. The actual addiction, whether physical or psychological I consider an illness.

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   tehgybposted 10 years ago

   I believe its a disease. a self-inflicted one, but a disease none the less. It does need to be treated, simply throwing an addict in a jail cell isn't helping them, and this is clearly evidenced by the years of failure we've had thus far.

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   raymondphilippeposted 10 years ago

   It is an illness (substance use disorder) ranging from mild to severe.
   Of course people with an addiction can commit crimes (like every one of us).
   There's an interesting and very readable discussion on the criteria used to diagnose Substance Use Disorder here at addictions.about.com/od/aboutaddiction/a/Dsm-5-Criteria-For-Substance-Use-Disorders.htm

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