From a recent article:
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. Dec 1, 2006 (AP)— A grandmother found with a trunkful of marijuana was convicted of drug running in what prosecutors said was an attempt to earn cash for a bingo habit.
Grandma was addicted to bingo. Yes, addicted – New Scientist reported on research showing that it is possible to be addicted to gambling, shopping, sex, and other things besides drugs:
DAVID had been a normal, happy child, growing up in an English seaside town. But by the time he was 18 he was miserable, withdrawn and rebellious. He skipped school, got angry when confronted, and stole from family and friends. He had a habit to fuel, and it took up all of his time. He lost sleep, had anxiety attacks, and sometimes got violent when he couldn’t get what he needed.
David, his parents, and psychologist Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University in the UK, who gathered his case history, have no doubt that David was an addict. It changed his personality and behavior, gave him a high, and dominated his thoughts for four years. The word addict usually triggers images of drug abusers or alcoholics, yet David’s “addiction” was not to any chemical. It was to slot machines, the most innocuous-looking of gambling games.
Grandma was addicted, and her addiction contributed to her making some poor choices. Specifically, she decided to break the law to feed her addiction.
Many people believe that we need anti-drug laws to keep drug addicts from committing crimes. Should we have anti-bingo laws? The New Scientist article above highlights a study where research proved that some people are addicted to shopping. Should we have anti-shopping laws?
Drugs are not the problem. Addiction is the problem. Addiction contributes to people making poor choices. We all agree that we don’t want drug addicts stealing or killing. But, outlawing drugs doesn’t get to the real problem. The problem is not the drug – the problem is the addiction.
As a society, we need to prevent and cure drug addiction, not drug use. By outlawing drugs, we make it harder for drug addicts to get treatment. The irony is painful – the real problem is addiction; the drug laws make it harder to get help for addiction; therefore, the drug laws contribute to the problem.
