One of the most destructive and dysfunctional diseases to afflict men and women of every culture is that of drug addiction. For as long as humans have ingested or smoked substances to achieve mental or physical affects, drug addiction has been a hotly debated issue. While many people long believed that an addiction to drugs or alcohol was simply a moral or personal weakness, which could be overcome through strength of will, modern science has since shown that drug addiction is actually biologically and genetically determined.

Illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines have been proven to contain neurotransmitters which affect the brain severely. Even legally obtained prescription painkillers, as well as mood altering drugs for anxiety, are designed in such a way that dependency is a natural byproduct of extended use. Today there are programs, such as Narcotics Anonymous, which are dedicated to helping drug addicts cope with and manage their addiction. Many people from all walks of life struggle with drug addiction every day, and the problem is one that has far reaching effects on all aspects of society.

The costs of drug addiction, in financial or humanitarian terms, are staggering when put into their proper perspective. Families are routinely broken apart by drug addiction, businesses consistently lose productivity to the addictions of employees, and drug addicts are responsible for an inordinate amount of fatal traffic accidents. The legal system in the United States, as well as other countries around the world, has become inundated with people whose drug addiction has compelled them to commit crimes. Medical costs for treating the symptoms of drug addiction have skyrocketed as widespread abuse of so-called “recreational” drugs has steadily increased. Drug addiction has been linked to high school dropout rates, long-term unemployment, and a variety of health problems ranging from obesity to cancer. Simply put, drug addiction is a scourge on communities around the globe and all efforts must be made to discourage and eliminate the abuse of illicit substances.