I believe that the very problem of drug addiction clearly has its origin in social hardship, and I believe that, as with other aspects, any informed and sensible person cannot but agree with this statement.
Of course there are people who, despite not lacking resources and having had a “normal” life, have fallen into addiction, but these are rare cases, totally lacking statistical relevance, whereas the mass, the by far most substantial part of addicts/dealers has its origin and roots in situations of deep social hardship, today often caused by the attempt at integration for people not native to the country of residence.
My personal experience has only confirmed this thesis: Almost ALL the addicts and dealers I have dealt with are marginalized people, either because they come from another country, or because they belong to marginalized social groups.
This reinforces what was stated in the previous post/paragraph: any attempt to solve the problem based exclusively on repressive methods, that does not seriously address the cause of the underlying social hardship, is inexorably doomed to fail.
The marginalization of the social group one belongs to is not only the primary cause of drug addiction, it is the main obstacle to the reintegration of the addict and the ultimate reason for remaining in a state of dependence.
“Junkies” hang out ONLY with other “junkies”; friendships, alliances, romantic and emotional relationships are formed that, all together, constitute a barrier that many find insurmountable, because it is not “only” about defeating a physical and/or psychological dependence on a substance; it is necessary to completely rebuild a social and friendship network that is perceived as one’s very IDENTITY.
The example I always give to people who have a normal life is the following: Imagine being catapulted into an alternate universe in which ALL the people you spend time with take drugs; imagine that at every get-together with friends you are offered drugs….how long do you think you could resist before giving in to temptation?
More: Living in a community where EVERYONE uses drugs makes normal people and the whole world appear alien, like a kind of parallel universe that coexists only spatially but is in fact distant...unreachable!
I invite the reader to consider the fact that social relationships are not an “accessory” element; they are what DEFINES US, or if you prefer the ONLY TRUE POINT OF REFERENCE WE HAVE, and for this reason they are normally perceived as OUR VERY IDENTITY!