drug addiction essay for 9th class

Drug and Substance Abuse Essay

Introduction, physiology and psychology of addiction, prescription drug abuse, depressants, hallucinogens.

Drug and substance abuse is an issue that affects entirely all societies in the world. It has both social and economic consequences, which affect directly and indirectly our everyday live. Drug addiction is “a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010).

It sets in as one form a habit of taking a certain drug. Full-blown drug abuse comes with social problems such as violence, child abuse, homelessness and destruction of families (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010). To understand to the impact of drug abuse, one needs to explore the reasons why many get addicted and seem unable pull themselves out of this nightmare.

Many experts consider addiction as a disease as it affects a specific part of the brain; the limbic system commonly referred to as the pleasure center. This area, which experts argue to be primitive, is affected by various drug substances, which it gives a higher priority to other things. Peele (1998) argues that alcoholism is a disease that can only be cured from such a perspective (p. 60). Genetics are also seen as a factor in drug addiction even though it has never been exclusively proven.

Other experts view addiction as a state of mind rather than a physiological problem. The environment plays a major role in early stages of addiction. It introduces the agent, in this case the drug, to the abuser who knowingly or otherwise develops dependence to the substance. Environmental factors range from violence, stress to peer pressure.

Moreover, as an individual becomes completely dependent on a substance, any slight withdrawal is bound to be accompanied by symptoms such as pain, which is purely psychological. This is because the victim is under self-deception that survival without the substance in question is almost if not impossible. From his psychological vantage point, Isralowitz (2004) argues that freedom from addiction is achievable provided there is the “right type of guidance and counseling” (p.22).

A doctor as regulated by law usually administers prescription drugs. It may not be certain why many people abuse prescription drugs but the trend is ever increasing. Many people use prescription drugs as directed by a physician but others use purely for leisure. This kind of abuse eventually leads to addiction.

This problem is compounded by the ease of which one can access the drugs from pharmacies and even online. Many people with conditions requiring painkillers, especially the elderly, have a higher risk of getting addicted as their bodies become tolerant to the drugs. Adolescents usually use some prescription drugs and especially painkillers since they induce anxiety among other feelings as will be discussed below.

Stimulants are generally psychoactive drugs used medically to improve alertness, increase physical activity, and elevate blood pressure among other functions. This class of drugs acts by temporarily increasing mental activity resulting to increased awareness, changes in mood and apparently cause the user to have a relaxed feeling. Although their use is closely monitored, they still find their way on the streets and are usually abused.

Getting deeper into the biochemistry of different stimulants, each has a different metabolism in the body affecting different body organs in a specific way. One common thing about stimulants is that they affect the central nervous system in their mechanism. Examples of commonly used stimulants include; cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cannabis. Cocaine, which has a tremendously high addictive potential, was in the past used as anesthetic and in treatment of depression before its profound effects were later discovered.

On the streets, cocaine is either injected intravenously or smoked. Within a few minutes of use, it stimulates the brain making the user feel euphoric, energetic and increases alertness. It has long-term effects such as seizures, heart attacks and stroke. Cocaine’s withdrawal symptoms range from anxiety, irritability to a strong craving for more cocaine.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana , is the most often abused drug familiar in almost every corner of the world, from the streets of New York to the most remote village in Africa. Although its addiction potential is lower as compared to that of cocaine, prolonged use of cannabis results to an immense craving for more.

It produces hallucinogenic effects, lack of body coordination, and causes a feeling of ecstasy. Long-term use is closely associated with schizophrenia, and other psychological conditions. From a medical perspective, cannabis is used as an analgesic, to stimulate hunger in patients, nausea ameliorator, and intraocular eye pressure reducer. Insomnia, lack of appetite, migraines, restlessness and irritability characterize withdrawal symptoms of cannabis.

Unlike stimulants, depressants reduce anxiety and the central nervous system activity. The most common depressants include barbiturates, benzodiazepines and ethyl alcohol. They are of great therapeutically value especially as tranquilizers or sedatives in reducing anxiety.

Depressants can be highly addictive since they seem to ease tension and bring relaxation. After using depressants for a long time, the body develops tolerance to the drugs. Moreover, body tolerance after continual use requires one use a higher dose to get the same effect. Clumsiness, confusion and a strong craving for the drug accompany gradual withdrawal. Sudden withdrawal causes respiratory complications and can even be fatal.

Narcotics have been used for ages for various ailments and as a pain reliever pain. They are also characterized by their ability to induce sleep and euphoria. Opium, for instance was used in ancient China as a pain reliever and treatment of dysentery and insomnia. Some narcotics such as morphine and codeine are derived from natural sources.

Others are structural analogs to morphine and these include heroin, oxymorphone among others. Narcotics are highly addictive resulting to their strict regulation by a majority of governments. Narcotics act as painkillers once they enter the body.

They are used legally in combination with other drugs as analgesics and antitussives but are abused due to their ability to induce a feeling of well being. Their addiction potential is exceptionally high due to the body’s tolerance after consistent use, forcing the user to use and crave for more to get satisfaction. Increase in respiration rate, diarrhea, anxiety, nausea and lack of appetite are symptoms common to narcotic withdrawal. Others include; running nose, stomach cramps, muscle pains and a strong craving for the drugs.

Hallucinogens affect a person’s thinking capacity causing illusions and behavioral changes especially in moods. They apparently cause someone to hear sounds and see images that do not exist. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which commonly abused hallucinogen, has a low addiction potential because it does not have withdrawal effects. They also affect a person’s sexual behavior and other body functions such as body temperature. There are no outright withdrawal symptoms for hallucinogens.

Isralowitz, R. (2004). Drug use: a reference handbook . Santa Barbara, Clif.: ABC-CLIO. Print.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). NIDA INfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction . Web.

Peele, S. (1998). The meaning of Addiction : Compulsive Experience and its Interpretation . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Unit 10 – Drug Addiction – 9th Class English Notes

Long term use of drugs causes permanent mental and physical sickness. The more dangerous a substance is used the riskier it becomes. A few important environmental factors that may cause drug addiction are bad peer influence, family conflicts and home management problems.

Here you can download 9th class English lesson-10 solved question answers that are given below.

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Drug Addiction Chapter 10 Federal Class 9 English Notes

Drug Addiction Chapter 10 Federal Class 9 English Notes, Comprehension, grammar, short and long question, drug addiction essay in English for 9th class, and writing skills.

Comprehension – A Drug Addiction

Q.1) what are the effects of drug addiction.

Answer: The effects of drug addiction can visibly be seen on the psychological, physical and social life of the drug addict. In order to have a clear picture of the effects, let’s discuss them one by one: Psychological effects: Excessive use of drugs has a severe impact on the mind and psychological state of the addict. The effects include wild mood swings, depression, anxiety, paranoia, violence, and a decrease in joy from everyday life, hallucinations, confusion, and the desire to engage in risky behavior. Physical effects: Drugs not only have an influence on the mind but are also responsible for the terrible health of the addict. Physical effects of drug addiction include contraction of HIV, hepatitis and other illnesses, heart rate irregularities, heart attack, respiratory problems such as lung cancer and breathing problems, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, kidney and liver damage, stroke, brain damage, changes in appetite, body temperature and sleeping patterns. Social effects: The practice of drug addiction has a direct impact on addict’s social life in a number of ways like conflict and breakdowns in communication with family members and friends can become more common, the effects of some drugs can cause you to do things you might not usually do. You might also be putting yourself at risk of overdosing; habitual drug use can prevent you from focusing on your responsibilities, like homework or concentrating in class, your grades will suffer as a result. Regular drug use can become expensive. People who are addicted to drugs might try illegal activities like theft. Spending most of your money on drugs might not leave much money to cover your living expenses, like rent, food, or utility bills. If you can’t pay these necessary costs, you could even get kicked out of your home.

Q.2) What are the causes of drug addiction?

Answer: The causes of drug addiction are numerous. Some of the most important are the following: Psychological causes: A mental illness such as depression, inability to connect with others, lack of friends, poor performance at work or school, and poor stress coping skills are some of the psychological causes of drug addiction. Environmental causes: A person’s environment can be part of what causes drug addiction. Drug addiction is more common in environments where drug abuse is seen or where it’s seen as permissible. Children who grow up in homes with drug addicts often become drug addicts themselves. Other environmental factors include participation in a sport where performance-enhancing drugs are encouraged, a peer group that uses or promotes drug use; people of lower socioeconomic status are at greater risk of drug addiction. Genetic causes: Drug addiction tends to run in families, indicating genetics may have a role in causing drug addiction.

Q.3) What important role do rehabilitation centers play to control drug addiction?

Answer: Rehabilitation centers cure the drug addicts. They keep an eye on the victims and guide them properly.

Q.4) What is the role of counseling in preventing drug addiction?

Answer: Counseling is very important for the treatment of drug addicts. It should be continued even after the patient is cured. It prevents the patient from returning back to the vicious disease again.

Q.5) Why do families feel reluctant to take the drug victims to drug rehabilitation centers?

Answer: The drug addicts are a source of disgrace to their families. Therefore, the families do not take the drug victims to the rehabilitation centres. They fear that people might know about them.

Q.6) What are the responsibilities of the families to ensure the complete recovery of such patients?

Answer: The families should take the drug victims to the rehabilitation centers. Then after their recovery, they should keep an eye on them. They should also continue to seek the doctors’ advice in this regard.

Q.B) Use the following relative pronouns in sentences.

who which that whom whose

Answer: Mrs. Pratt, who is very kind, is my teacher. The car, which I was driving at the time, suddenly caught fire. The person that phoned me last night is my friend. To whom do you wish to speak? My brother, whose phone you just heard, is a doctor.

Q.C) Underline Adjective Clauses in the following sentences. Also, encircle the relative pronouns.

1. He tells a tale that sounds untrue. 2 People who eat too much die early. 3. I met the woman whose son helped me. 4. He is the man whom we all respect. 5. I have work which I must do.

Answer: pronouns italic 1. that sounds untrue 2. who eat too much 3. whose son helped me 4. whom we all respect 5 . which I must do

Q. D) Write suitable adjective clauses:

1. Where is the book ___________ ? 2. Any student _____________________ will be punished 3. I know the woman ___________________. 4. That is the girl ____________________. 5. Where is the man __________________?

Answer: 1. that you bought yesterday 2. who makes noise 3. that is lying on the table 4. who came late yesterday. 5. who was asking for the alms.

Q.E) Pick out three passive sentences from the lesson. Change these sentences into active voice.

Answer: 1) Drug addiction and alcoholism are caused both by genetic and environmental factors. A. Both genetic and environmental factors cause drug addiction and alcoholism. 2) These factors can be supplemented by environmental factors. A. Environmental factors can supplement these factors. 3) Complete medical support and guidance are provided to these people in these centers. A. These centers provide complete medical support and guidance to these people.

Writing Skills

Q.a) summarize the lesson “ drug addiction” with the help of following a mind map.

CAUSE/FACTOR I —————> CAUSE/FACTOR II ——————> Effects—————-> Solution

Answer: Drug addiction means a person’s total dependency on such medicines which have terrible effects on his mental and physical health. There are two major factors that are responsible for making a person drug addict. One is the environmental factor in which bad company, disturbed family life, peer pressure are involved. On the other hand, mostly young people who are not satisfied with their lives become the victim of drug addiction quite easily.

Secondly, genetic factor counts as a major element to become a drug addict. Both the factors have adverse effects on the individual’s lifestyle. For example, health issues come at the first place, social activities take a turn towards negativity, the behavior of the addict also be affected due to this practice. Certain steps should be taken at different levels to eradicate this evil act of drug addiction. Rehabilitation centers should be established for the cure, treatment, and recovery of the deceased. Secondly, counseling plays a vital role in bringing the victim back to normal life. In this regard, a triangle frame consisting of family, friends, and doctors is of considerable importance. Drug addiction needs to be controlled worldwide.

Q.B) Write an essay on Drug Addiction a threat to society (170 – 200 words )

Answer: ‘Drug’ is a terminology that can be categorized into two parts; one is referred to as “life-saving medication” and the other must be titled as “life-taking medication” . Drug abuse falls in the second group quite easily; as it means the excess use of such drugs which cause dreadful effects on the mind and soul of the individual. Drug abuse is a disastrous threat to any society. It not only affects human health severely but is a source of social destruction as well. Genetic and environmental factors are mainly responsible for drug addiction. Genetic factors include metabolic structural and neuron chemical malfunctions of the brain. On the other hand, the company one keeps, peer pressure, evil environment, unsuitable home conditions are some of the environmental factors.

The health of a drug addict is somewhat his/her personal matter but one cannot deny the involvement of such a person in various crimes who ruins society on a wide scale such as dacoit, robbery, murder, etc.

To eradicate this evil act from the society, certain steps should be taken. The first step is a total ban should be imposed on those plants which produce drugs. Secondly, public awareness programs should be initiated at a governmental level. Thirdly, free or cheap treatment of the drugs addicts should lifestyle. Fourth, the government should make and enforce strict laws against the makers of drugs. Last but not least, rehabilitation centers should be open for the treatment of drug patients.

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Unit 10 – Drug Addiction

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Drugs: Use, Abuse and Addiction - Lesson Plan (Grades 9 & 10)

Note: Contact us by e-mail to receive the Lesson Plan PDF version. Requests will be answered between 7:00am and 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Objectives:

To learn about various drugs.
To identify risk factors and protective factors associated with substance abuse (drugs and alcohol).
To discuss what addiction is and the consequences of it.
To determine behaviours that increase well-being and allow students to achieve life goals.
Activity #1: Name that Drug (9-10.1 Handout)
Activity #5: Now, it's Your Choice (9-10.5 Handout)

Reference documents are found at the end of this lesson plan.

Activity #1: name that drug (9-10.1 reference), activity #2: recognizing the risks (9-10.2 reference).

Activity #3: Path to Addiction (9-10.3 Reference)

Activity #4: Consequences of Addiction (9-10.4 Reference)

Other materials:.

SMART board/chalk board to summarize responses on
Chart paper and markers for groups to use
Computer/projector to display slides (optional)
Masking tape
Introduction: 5 minutes
Activity #1: Name that Drug 10 minutes
Activity #2: Recognizing the Risks 15 minutes
Activity #3: Scale of Addiction Use 10 minutes
Activity #4: Consequences of Addiction 15 minutes
Activity #5: Now, it's Your Choice 5 minutes
Conclusion 5 minutes

Total: 60 minutes

Presenter Preparation:

Review the Drugs and Alcohol section of the Centre for Youth Crime Prevention.
Review the Objectives of this lesson plan.
Identify ways in which you are personally linked to the subject matter. This presentation is general in nature, and will be more effective if you tailor it to your personal experiences, the audience and your community.
Guest speakers can really have an impact. If there is someone in your community who has been impacted by substance abuse, invite them to speak with the youth. You may also want to consider inviting an RCMP member from the drug section. Please note: Activities will need to be removed or modified to ensure that the time allotment is respected.
Print the lesson plan and reference documents.
Print required handouts. Make a few extra copies just to be sure.
Ensure your location has any technology you require (computer, projector, SMART board, etc.)

A) Introduction

Introduce yourself.
Tell the students about your job and why you are there to talk to them. Tell students that in today's class, they will talk about substance abuse, its impacts and ways they can deal with peer pressure related to substance use and abuse. Additionally, different supports to help them deal with the issue will be addressed.
If you are a police officer, briefly discuss the role of police officers when it comes to substance abuse (i.e. your experience dealing with youth and substance abuse issues).
Pass out one index card to each student. Explain that this card is to be used for students to write down any question they may have. The presenters will collect them towards the end of the presentation and answer the questions anonymously in front of the group.

B) Activity #1: Name that Drug

Goal: Students will learn about various drugs (including short and long-term health impacts). Type: Information chart and discussion Time: 10 minutes

Cut out the drug types and their matching definitions from Activity #1: Name that Drug (9-10.1 Reference) and place them out of order on the board.
Explain to students that different types of drugs have different effects on our bodies.
Stimulants: Drugs that make the user hyper and alert.
Depressants: Drugs that cause a user's body and mind to slow down.
Hallucinogens: Drugs that disrupt a user's perception of reality and cause them to imagine experiences and objects that seem real.
Ask students to match up the fact with the drug as a class. Go over the answers.
Ask the students to read over the handout Activity #1: Name that Drug (9-10.1 Handout) and start a discussion based on what the students read. Encourage all students to participate to the discussion by asking questions, such as: "What is a drug?" "What do drugs do?" "What happens when a person uses drugs?" "What are drugs used for?" "Do drugs affect everyone in the same way?" "Can drugs be prescribed by a doctor?"

C) Activity #2: Recognizing the Risks

Goal: Students will recognize protective and risk factors associated with substance abuse and addiction and learn the importance of resilient factors. Type: T-chart and group activity Time: 15 minutes Step #1:

Resiliency: The ability to become strong, healthy and successful after something bad happens to you ( www.merriam-webster.com 2014).
Risk Factors: Factors that can lead to drug use.
Protective Factors: Factors that can shield from drug use.( http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/docas-ssdco/guide-kid-enf/page3-eng.htm ).
Ask the students to get into groups of 3 or 4.
Create a chart on the SMART board, chalkboard or overhead with two titles: (1) Risk Factors & (2) Protective Factors . Ask students to identify examples of risk factors when it comes to substance abuse, alcohol and addiction and record their answers. Then ask students to identify some examples of protective factors that could be associated with not using drugs and alcohol or getting addicted. Use Activity #2: Recognizing the Risks (9-10.2 Reference) as a guide.
If time allows, give each group playing cards and tell them to work together to make a card house for 5 minutes.
Explain that in this activity, each card represents a protective and resilience factor, and when those factors fail or diminish the structure will fall.

D) Activity #3: Path to Addiction

Goal: Students will discuss how addiction can impact a person's lifestyle. Type: Discussion and group activity Time: 10 minutes

Ask students to define what addiction is as well as the substances a person can become addicted to.
Make sure to include that both drugs and alcohol can be addictive.
Explain to students that addiction is an ongoing process. Addiction may present its challenges at different times over many years in a user's life.
Write each stage on a different piece of paper. Ask for 5 volunteers to come to the front of the class and give each student a stage.
Have the student volunteers work together to arrange themselves in the order that they think the scale of addiction occurs in.
With the students, define each stage of addiction. Discuss the answers with students and use Activity #3: Path to Addiction (9-10.3 Reference) as a guide.

E) Activity #4: Consequences of Addiction

Goal: Students will examine the consequences of addiction on all facets of life. Type: 5 corners activity and group discussion Time: 10 minutes

Separate the students into 5 different groups.
Have the students get into their groups and give each group a piece of chart paper. Assign each of the five groups one of the topics: (1) Family, (2) Friends & Recreation, (3) School & Jobs, (4) Physical & Emotional Health, and (5) Financial. Have each group write the topic on their piece of chart paper.
Ask each group to brainstorm and record the consequences of an addiction relating to their topic.
Give the groups 5 minutes to come up with a hashtag that represents how they might be affected in that aspect of their life.
Discuss answers with the group.

F) Activity #5: Now, it's Your Choice

Goal: Students will commit to a healthy lifestyle Type: 5 corners activity and group discussion Time: 15 minutes

Distribute Activity #5: Now, it's Your Choice (9-10.5 Handout) and ask the students to answer the question.

Step #2: (Homework)

As part of their homework from the presentation, ask all the students to make the pledge to say no to drugs on the National Anti-Drug Strategy website: http://nationalantidrugstrategy.gc.ca/prevention/youth-jeunes/index.html and click on "Make a Pledge." Tell them to print the pledge they submitted and display them around the classroom or school.

G) Conclusion

To conclude the lesson, summarize the important points and highlights of your discussion throughout the session.
Collect all index cards from students. Take some time to answer any questions from the cards that the students may have had.
Leave students with information about how to contact you if they have any follow up questions they didn't want to ask in class.

Reference documents

(Adapted from: Alberta Health Services www.albertahealthservices.ca/2677.asp )

Activity #3: Scale of Addiction Use (9-10.3 Reference)

(Adapted from: Alberta Health Services http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/2677.asp )

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9th English Chapter 10 Test

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Essay on Drug Abuse

Here we have shared the Essay on Drug Abuse in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Drug Abuse in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams.

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Drug Abuse in 150 words

Essay on drug abuse in 250-300 words, essay on drug abuse in 500-1000 words.

Drug abuse is a global issue that poses serious risks to individuals and society. It involves the harmful and excessive use of drugs, leading to physical and mental health problems. Drug abuse can result in addiction, organ damage, cognitive impairment, and social and economic difficulties. Prevention efforts should focus on education, raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Access to quality healthcare and addiction treatment services is crucial for recovery. Strengthening law enforcement measures against drug trafficking is necessary to address the supply side of the problem. Creating supportive environments and opportunities for positive engagement can help prevent drug abuse. By taking collective action, we can combat drug abuse and build healthier communities.

Drug abuse is a growing global concern that poses significant risks to individuals, families, and communities. It refers to the excessive and harmful use of drugs, both legal and illegal, that have negative effects on physical and mental health.

Drug abuse has severe consequences for individuals and society. Physically, drug abuse can lead to addiction, damage vital organs, and increase the risk of overdose. Mentally, it can cause cognitive impairment, and psychological disorders, and deteriorate overall well-being. Additionally, drug abuse often leads to social and economic problems, such as strained relationships, loss of employment, and criminal activities.

Preventing drug abuse requires a multi-faceted approach. Education and awareness programs play a crucial role in informing individuals about the dangers of drug abuse and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. Access to quality healthcare and addiction treatment services is vital to help individuals recover from substance abuse. Strengthening law enforcement efforts to curb drug trafficking and promoting international cooperation is also essential to address the supply side of the issue.

Community support and a nurturing environment are critical in preventing drug abuse. Creating opportunities for individuals, especially young people, to engage in positive activities and providing social support systems can serve as protective factors against drug abuse.

In conclusion, drug abuse is a significant societal problem with detrimental effects on individuals and communities. It requires a comprehensive approach involving education, prevention, treatment, and enforcement. By addressing the root causes, raising awareness, and providing support to those affected, we can combat drug abuse and create a healthier and safer society for all.

Title: Drug Abuse – A Global Crisis Demanding Urgent Action

Introduction :

Drug abuse is a pressing global issue that poses significant risks to individuals, families, and communities. It refers to the excessive and harmful use of drugs, both legal and illegal, that have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. This essay explores the causes and consequences of drug abuse, the social and economic impact, prevention and treatment strategies, and the importance of raising awareness and fostering supportive communities in addressing this crisis.

Causes and Factors Contributing to Drug Abuse

Several factors contribute to drug abuse. Genetic predisposition, peer pressure, stress, trauma, and environmental influences play a role in initiating substance use. The availability and accessibility of drugs, as well as societal norms and cultural acceptance, also influence drug abuse patterns. Additionally, underlying mental health issues and co-occurring disorders can drive individuals to self-medicate with drugs.

Consequences of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse has devastating consequences on individuals and society. Physically, drug abuse can lead to addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms. Substance abuse affects vital organs, impairs cognitive function, and increases the risk of accidents and injuries. Mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, are often associated with drug abuse. Substance abuse also takes a toll on relationships, leading to strained family dynamics, social isolation, and financial instability. The social and economic costs of drug abuse include increased healthcare expenses, decreased productivity, and the burden on criminal justice systems.

Prevention and Education

Preventing drug abuse requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. Education and awareness programs are essential in schools, communities, and the media to inform individuals about the risks and consequences of drug abuse. Promoting healthy coping mechanisms, stress management skills, and decision-making abilities can empower individuals to resist peer pressure and make informed choices. Early intervention programs that identify at-risk individuals and provide support and resources are crucial in preventing substance abuse.

Treatment and Recovery

Access to quality healthcare and evidence-based addiction treatment is vital in addressing drug abuse. Treatment options include detoxification, counseling, behavioral therapies, and medication-assisted treatments. Rehabilitation centers, support groups, and outpatient programs provide a continuum of care for individuals seeking recovery. Holistic approaches, such as addressing co-occurring mental health disorders and promoting healthy lifestyles, contribute to successful long-term recovery. Support from family, friends, and communities plays a significant role in sustaining recovery and preventing relapse.

Law Enforcement and Drug Policies

Effective law enforcement efforts are necessary to disrupt drug trafficking and dismantle illicit drug networks. International cooperation and collaboration are crucial in combating the global drug trade. Additionally, drug policies should focus on a balanced approach that combines law enforcement with prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies. Shifting the emphasis from punitive measures toward prevention and rehabilitation can lead to more effective outcomes.

Creating Supportive Communities:

Fostering supportive communities is vital in addressing drug abuse. Communities should provide resources, social support networks, and opportunities for positive engagement. This includes promoting healthy recreational activities, providing vocational training, and creating safe spaces for individuals in recovery. Reducing the stigma associated with drug abuse and encouraging empathy and understanding are crucial to building a compassionate and supportive environment.

Conclusion :

Drug abuse remains a complex and multifaceted issue with far-reaching consequences. By addressing the causes, raising awareness, implementing preventive measures, providing quality treatment and support services, and fostering supportive communities, we can combat drug abuse and alleviate its impact. It requires collaboration and a collective effort from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to build a society that is resilient against the scourge of drug abuse. Through education, prevention, treatment, and compassion, we can pave the way toward a healthier and drug-free future.

Essential Elements of Valid Contract (Explained With Examples)

What is World Population? Main Causes, Effects, Top 20 Countries

Essay on Addiction for Students and Children

500 words essay on addiction.

As we all know that excess of anything can be very dangerous, the same way, addiction of any kind can hamper the life quality of an individual. The phrase states that addiction is a family disease as one person uses and the whole family suffers. The above statement stands true in all its essence as the addict does not merely suffer but the people around him suffer greatly too. However, that does not mean they can’t be helped. Addiction is curable and we must not give up on the person who is addicted, rather help them out for a better life.

Cost of Addiction

Addiction comes at a great cost and we need to be able to recognize its harmful consequences to not let ourselves or anyone become an addict. Firstly, addiction has major health hazards. Intake of anything is bad for our body , and it does not matter what type of addiction it is, it will always impact the mental and physical health of a person.

For instance, if you are addicted to drugs or food, you will get various diseases and illnesses. Similarly, if you are addicted to video games, your mental health will also suffer along with physical health.

Moreover, people who are addicts usually face monetary issues. As they use that thing in excess, they spend loads of money on it. People become obsessed with spending all their fortunes on that one thing to satisfy their addiction. Thus, all these addictions of drugs , alcohol , gambling, and more drain the finances of a person and they usually end up in debt or even worse.

Furthermore, the personal and professional relationships of addicts suffer the most. They end up doing things or making decisions that do not work in their favor. This constraint the relationships of people and they drift apart.

Moreover, it also hampers their studies or work life. When you are spending all your money and time on your addiction, naturally your concentration levels in other things will drop. However, all this is not impossible to beat. There are many ways through which one can beat their addiction.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Beat Your Addiction

It is best to work towards beating your addiction rather than getting beat by it. One can try many ways to do so. Firstly, recognize and identify that you have an addiction problem. That is the first step to getting cured. You need to take some time and understand the symptoms in order to treat them. Motivate yourself to do better.

After that, understand that the journey will be long but worthwhile. Identify the triggers in your life and try to stay away from them as far as possible. There is no shame in asking for professional help. Always remember that professionals can always help you get better. Enroll yourself in rehabilitation programs and try to make the most out of them.

Most importantly, do not be hesitant in talking to your loved ones. Approach them and talk it out as they care most about you. They will surely help you get on the right path and help you in beating addiction for better health and life.

Q.1 What are the consequences of addiction?

A.1 Addiction has very severe consequences. Some of them are health hazards, monetary issues, relationship problems, adverse problems on studies and work of a person. It seriously hampers the quality of life of a person.

Q.2 How can one get rid of addiction?

A.2 A little help can go a long way. One can get rid of addiction by enrolling in rehabilitation programs and opening up about their struggle. Try to take professional help and talk with your close ones to become better.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Drug Addiction — The Causes, Effects and Prevention of Drug Addiction

The Problem of Drug Addiction: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Categories: Drug Addiction

About this sample

Words: 1196 |

Published: Jan 15, 2019

Words: 1196 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Causes of drug addiction, effects of drug addiction, how to prevent drug addiction (essay), works cited.

Doan, H. (2007). Police dogs will sniff out drugs at city schools. The Roanoke Times.
Mayo Clinic. (2019). Drug addiction (substance use disorder).
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (third edition).
New York Times. (2009). Drug-sniffing dogs are in demand.
Psychological Studies and Support to Drug Users. (2014). Teenagers and drug use: Facts and figures.
Smith, M. J., & Stevens, A. (Eds.). (2013). Drug Policy and the Public Good.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Treatment for substance use disorders.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2021). World drug report 2021.
Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. T. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(4), 363-371.

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Essay on Drug Addiction in English for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Drug Addiction: Drug addiction is not a disease as it may seem to many people. It is a psychological disorder that leads a person to use drugs excessively. Even though the person may know that the drugs are harming his body, he cannot control his urge to consume more and more drugs. The addiction may start with a small quantity but gradually it increases with time. The person becomes a slave of drugs and cannot live without them. He may start stealing money to buy drugs. In some cases, he may even sell his body to buy drugs.

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Target Exam ---

A drug is any substance that changes how a person feels or acts, whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or behaviorally. Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, happens when someone loses control over using drugs or medications, whether legal or not. Drugs like alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine fall into this category. When someone is addicted, they might keep using the drug even if it harms them.

Long and Short Essay on Drug Addiction in English

Here are long and short essay on Drug Addiction of various lengths to help you with the topic in your exam.

These Drug Addiction essay have been written using very simple and easy language to convey the facts on Drug Addiction among people.

After going through these essays you would be able to know what Drug Addiction is, how Drug Addiction is harmful to health, what are ways to overcome Drug Addiction, impact of Drug Addiction on human behaviour, etc.

Essay on Drug Addiction in 200 words – Essay 1

Drug addiction is a common problem these days. Vast number of people around the world suffers from this problem. Drugs offer an instant pleasure and relief from stress. Many people begin taking drugs as an escape from their painful reality. Others take drugs just to experience how it feels.

Yet others take it just to give company to their friends so that they don’t get left out. Whatever be the reason, before a person knows, he gets addicted to drugs and it is hard to get rid of this addiction. Short-term pleasure caused by the use of drugs can lead to serious long term problems. It can cause severe health issues and behavioural changes.

Some of the symptoms of drug addiction include loss of appetite, impaired coordination, and restlessness, loss of interest in work, financial issues, and change of social circle, secretive behaviour, frequent mood swings and anxious behaviour.

Many people argue that overcoming addiction just requires will power and determination. However, this is not it. It requires much more. Drug addiction alters the brain and causes powerful cravings. Will power alone cannot help overcome this strong urge. It is essential to seek professional help and take proper medication in order to get rid of drug addiction. It can take years to overcome this addiction and the chances of a relapse cannot be ruled out completely.

Essay on Drug Addiction: Harmful for Health (300 words) – Essay 2

Drug addiction weakens a person’s immune system. It causes various mental and physical illnesses. The problems can be both short term and long term. The kind of drug a person consumes, how he consumes it, how much he consumes it and the period of time for which he takes it form the basis of different health problems.

Drug Addiction: Impact on Physical Health

Drug addiction can take a toll on a person’s physical health. It harms various parts of the body including brain, throat, lungs, stomach, pancreas, liver, heart and the nervous system. It can cause health problems such as nausea, heart problem, damaged liver, stroke, lung disease, weight loss and even cancer.

Drug addicts also stand a high risk of contracting AIDS. This is because they usually share needles to inject drugs. Driving or even walking on the road while you are under the influence of drugs can be risky. Such a person has a high chance of meeting with accident.

Drug Addiction: Impact on Mental Health

Drug addiction has severe impact on a person’s brain. Drugs interfere with decision making and impact a person’s psychomotor skills. They can cause mental health issues such as depression, Alzheimer, insomnia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, conduct problems and psychosocial dysfunctions. Drug addicts have suicidal thoughts and often attempt suicide.

Drug Addiction: Effect on Unborn Babies

Addiction can put the unborn babies in high risk. Pregnant women addicted to drugs can harm the fetus. Unborn babies are likely to develop birth defects and both mental and physical abnormalities. Drug addiction can also result in premature birth. Some babies even display behavioural issues later in life. It is highly recommended to get rid of drug addiction before planning a baby.

Essay on Drug Addiction – Ways to Overcome Drug Addiction (400 words) – Essay 3

People belonging to different age groups and varied walks of life fall prey to drug addiction. While some are able to overcome this addiction with some difficulty, others get thrown in the dark world of drugs forever. One needs to be truly willing to get rid of drug addiction and put as much effort to overcome this abuse.

Essay on Drug Addiction

While anyone can develop drug addiction some people have a greater chance of developing this. Here is a look at people who are at high risk of developing drug addiction:

Those who have suffered some heart wrenching/ traumatic experiences in life.
who have a family history of drug addiction.
Those who have suffered mental or physical abuse or neglect.
Those suffering from depression and anxiety.

Ways to Overcome Drug Addiction

Here are some of the ways to overcome drug addiction:

List the Reasons to Quit

As you decide to quit drug addiction, make a list of the problems you are facing due to your addiction. This can include problems at work front, problems with your spouse, kids and parents, physical and mental health issues and more. Read this list everyday as you embark on your journey to quit this hazardous habit. This will motivate you to leave it.

Enroll at a Rehabilitation Centre

This is one of the main steps to overcome drug addiction. Good rehabilitation centres have qualified and experienced professionals who know just how to deal with the addicts and help them get rid of their drug addiction. Meeting other drug addicts and seeing how hard they are trying to leave this addiction to get back to normal life can also be encouraging.

Seek Support from Friends and Family

Love and support from our near and dear ones can play an important part when it comes to getting rid of drug addiction. It can help the drug addict stay determined and motivated to leave this detestable habit. So, do not hesitate to discuss this problem with them. They will be more than willing to help you get rid of the addiction.

As you stop the consumption of drugs, you may suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Medication is required to deal with these symptoms. Medication also helps in preventing relapse. Health issues that may have been caused due to drug addiction also need to be cured. Medicines will help cure them.

Drug addiction can be extremely hard to leave. However, it is not impossible to do so. Strong determination and support from friends and family can help in getting rid of drug addiction.

Essay on Drug Addiction – Impact of Drug Addiction on Human Behavioral (500 words) – Essay 5

Drug Addiction impacts the physical health badly. It puts the addict at the risk of incurring health problems such as cardiac arrest, stroke and abdominal pain. It also causes mental health issues such as depression, insomnia and bipolar disorder to name a few. In addition to impacting a person’s health, drug addiction also impacts the human behavioral. All kinds of drugs including cocaine, marijuana and weed, impact the brain instinct and cause mood swings that result in behavioral issues.

Common Behavioral Issues Faced by Drug Addicts

Drug addiction messes with a person’s brain function. It interferes with the way a person behaves and the kind of choices he makes.

Aggressiveness

A person who is under the influence of drugs can get highly aggressive. Drug addicts often get enraged on the smallest of things. This behaviour is not just seen when they are experiencing a high. Continual use of drugs somehow embeds aggressiveness in their personality. It is difficult to get along with such people. You need to be highly cautious around them as they can throw frequent bouts of anger and aggression.

Impaired Judgement

Drug addiction bars a person’s ability to think rationally. Drug addicts are unable to take proper decisions. Their judgement is impaired. They can no longer distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.

Impulsiveness

Drug addicts also display impulsive behaviour. They act and react without thinking much. This behaviour is usually displayed when they are feeling a high. However, they may even display impulsive behaviour when they return to their normal state. Drug addicts mostly take decisions that they regret later.

Loss of Self Control

Drug addiction takes over the addict’s brain and they lose self control. They cannot control their actions even if they wish to. Grow strong craving for drugs and it is hard to resist even though they wish to. They also cannot control their reaction to things. Drugs overpower their decisions, actions, reactions and behaviour.

Low Performance at Work

A person who grows addicted to drugs experiences a drop in performance at work/ school. He is unable to concentrate on his work and continually thinks about taking drugs . He feels lethargic and low on energy when he doesn’t get his supply. All this is a big hindrance to work.

Hallucination

It has been noted that those under the influence of drugs often hallucinate. They see things and hear noises that do not really exist. The drugs that are particularly known for causing hallucinations include Salvia, Mescaline, LSD, Psilocybin Mushrooms and Ketamine.

In an attempt to hide their drug addiction from family and friends drug addicts often grow secretive. They usually avoid spending time with their parents/ kids/ spouse. They often socialize with other drug addicts and stop hanging out with other friends. This often makes them socially awkward.

Drug addiction can cause behavioural issues that can impact a person’s personal as well as professional life negatively. It is an addiction that one must get rid of as soon as possible. A person may struggle to make positive changes in his behaviour long after he has left drug addiction.

Long Essay on Drug Addiction: The Worst Addiction (600 words) – Essay 5

Introduction.

Drug intake releases large amount of dopamine that puts a person in an ecstatic state. People love experiencing this happy state and wish to get here time and again which is one of the main reasons of drug addiction. Initially most people take drugs voluntarily however it soon turns out to be an addiction. Drug addiction is the worst kind of addiction. It is hard to leave and the negative repercussions it has may last even after a person gets rid of this addiction.

Types of Drugs

Drugs have broadly been categorized into three types. These are depressant, stimulants and hallucinogens. Here is a look at the impact each one of them causes on a human mind and body:

Depressants : Depressants include cannabis, opiates, benzodiazepines and alcohol. They are known to slow down the speed of the messages going to and from the brain and thus lower the ability to take charge of a situation. When taken in small amount, depressants can make a person feel relaxed. However, when taken in large quantity, these can cause nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness.
Stimulants : Stimulants, on the other hand, speed up the messages going to and from the brain. They have the power to boost a person’s confidence level instantly. On the downside, they can cause high blood pressure, increase heart rate and cause restlessness, agitation and insomnia. Continual use of such drugs causes panic attacks, anxiety and paranoia. Stimulants include nicotine, caffeine, cocaine and amphetamines.
Hallucinogens : Hallucinogens include LSF, PCP, cannabis, mescaline and psilocybin. These drugs cause hallucination and distort a person’s sense of reality. When taken continually, these drugs can cause high blood pressure, nausea, paranoia and numbness.

Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction

A person who grows addicted to drugs is likely to show the following signs and symptoms:

Change in appetite
Unexpected weight gain or weight loss
Change in sleep pattern
Slurred speech
Change in friend circle
Sudden bouts of anger
Bloodshot eyes
Loss of interest in work
Low performance at work/school
Secretive behaviour
Being lethargic, distant and disinterested
Frequent mood swings
Lack of motivation
Anxious behaviour

Drug Addiction Hampers Professional Life

Drug addiction has an adverse impact on a person’s brain. People lose their self control. They become so addicted to drugs that all they can think about is consuming them. This is the only thing that interests them. They are unable to concentrate on work and lose interest in it. Even if they try to work they feel lethargic and withdrawn.

Drugs have an impact on their cognitive skills, analytical skills and decision making power. This impacts their professional life adversely. Drug addicts also display irrational behaviour. They grow aggressive, develop impaired judgement and become impulsive. Such behaviour is unacceptable in an office setting. It puts them in a bad light and bars the chances of professional growth.

Drug Addiction Ruins Personal Relationships

A person addicted to drugs loves the company of those who take drugs and tries to spend most of his time with them. He is no longer interested in his family and friends. Often distances himself from them. He becomes irritable and aggressive. This leads to frequent arguments and quarrels which disturb his family life as well as his equation with his friends. A person addicted to drugs does not only spoil his own life but also of those around him.

Below are the list of related essay available at IL

Essay on Drug Addiction FAQs

How do you write a drug essay.

To write a drug essay, start with an introduction about the topic's importance, include information about various types of drugs, their effects, and the consequences of drug abuse. Discuss prevention, treatment, and societal impact. Conclude with your thoughts or recommendations.

What is drug addiction in one sentence?

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

What is drug addiction class 9?

In a class 9 context, drug addiction is typically introduced as the harmful and unhealthy dependence on substances like drugs or alcohol, which can lead to physical, mental, and social problems.

Essay on Drug Addiction

Drugs impact the body and brain adversely. Different kinds of drugs have been created to render different effects. These are all addictive and hard to leave. Drug addiction is a serious problem. It is easy to get addicted to drugs but extremely difficult to get rid of this addiction. The health issues caused by drug addiction can continue even after a person stops taking drugs.

Long and Short Essay on Drug Addiction in English

Here are long and short essay on Drug Addiction of various lengths to help you with the topic in your exam.

These Drug Addiction essay have been written using very simple and easy language to convey the facts on Drug Addiction among people.

Short Essay on Drug Addiction (200 words) – Essay 1

Essay on Drug Addiction: Harmful for Health (300 words) – Essay 2

Introduction

Drug Addiction: Impact on Physical Health

Drug Addiction: Impact on Mental Health

Drug Addiction: Effect on Unborn Babies

Drug addiction can put the unborn babies in high risk. Pregnant women addicted to drugs can harm the fetus. Unborn babies are likely to develop birth defects and both mental and physical abnormalities. Drug addiction can also result in premature birth. Some babies even display behavioural issues later in life. It is highly recommended to get rid of drug addiction before planning a baby.

The overall health of a person weakens immensely due to regular dose of drugs. Such a person often loses touch with the reality and becomes delusional. He is also likely to catch infections much faster due to weakened immune system.

Essay on Drug Addiction – Ways to Overcome Drug Addiction (400 words) – Essay 3

Risks of Drug Addiction

While anyone can develop drug addiction some people have a greater chance of developing this. Here is a look at people who are at high risk of developing drug addiction:

Those who have suffered some heart wrenching/ traumatic experiences in life.
Those who have a family history of drug addiction.
Those who have suffered mental or physical abuse or neglect.
Those suffering from depression and anxiety.

Ways to Overcome Drug Addiction

Here are some of the ways to overcome drug addiction:

List the Reasons to Quit

Enroll at a Rehabilitation Centre

Seek Support from Friends and Family

Conclusion

Drug addiction can be extremely hard to leave. However, it is not impossible to do so. Strong determination and support from friends and family can help in getting rid of drug addiction.

Essay on Drug Addiction: Impact of Drug Addiction on Human Behaviour (500 words) – Essay 5

Drug Addiction impacts the physical health badly. It puts the addict at the risk of incurring health problems such as cardiac arrest, stroke and abdominal pain. It also causes mental health issues such as depression, insomnia and bipolar disorder to name a few. In addition to impacting a person’s health, drug addiction also impacts the human behaviour. All kinds of drugs including cocaine, marijuana and weed, impact the brain instinct and cause mood swings that result in behavioural issues.

Common Behavioural Issues Faced by Drug Addicts

Drug addiction messes with a person’s brain function. It interferes with the way a person behaves and the kind of choices he makes.

Aggressiveness

Impaired Judgement

Impulsiveness

Loss of Self Control

Drug addiction takes over the addict’s brain and they lose self control. They cannot control their actions even if they wish to. They grow strong craving for drugs and it is hard to resist even though they wish to. They also cannot control their reaction to things. Drugs overpower their decisions, actions, reactions and behaviour.

Low Performance at Work

A person who grows addicted to drugs experiences a drop in performance at work/ school. He is unable to concentrate on his work and continually thinks about taking drugs. He feels lethargic and low on energy when he doesn’t get his supply. All this is a big hindrance to work.

Hallucination

Long Essay on Drug Addiction: The Worst Addiction (600 words) – Essay 5

Types of Drugs

Drugs have broadly been categorized into three types. These are depressant, stimulants and hallucinogens. Here is a look at the impact each one of them causes on a human mind and body:

Depressants : Depressants include cannabis, opiates, benzodiazepines and alcohol. They are known to slow down the speed of the messages going to and from the brain and thus lower the ability to take charge of a situation. When taken in small amount, depressants can make a person feel relaxed. However, when taken in large quantity, these can cause nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness.
Stimulants : Stimulants, on the other hand, speed up the messages going to and from the brain. They have the power to boost a person’s confidence level instantly. On the downside, they can cause high blood pressure, increase heart rate and cause restlessness, agitation and insomnia. Continual use of such drugs causes panic attacks, anxiety and paranoia. Stimulants include nicotine, caffeine, cocaine and amphetamines.
Hallucinogens : Hallucinogens include LSF, PCP, cannabis, mescaline and psilocybin. These drugs cause hallucination and distort a person’s sense of reality. When taken continually, these drugs can cause high blood pressure, nausea, paranoia and numbness.

Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction

A person who grows addicted to drugs is likely to show the following signs and symptoms:

Change in appetite
Unexpected weight gain or weight loss
Change in sleep pattern
Slurred speech
Change in friend circle
Sudden bouts of anger
Bloodshot eyes
Loss of interest in work
Low performance at work/school
Secretive behaviour
Being lethargic, distant and disinterested
Frequent mood swings
Lack of motivation
Anxious behaviour

Drug Addiction Hampers Professional Life

Drug Addiction Ruins Personal Relationships

A person addicted to drugs loves the company of those who take drugs and tries to spend most of his time with them. He is no longer interested in his family and friends. He often distances himself from them. He becomes irritable and aggressive. This leads to frequent arguments and quarrels which disturb his family life as well as his equation with his friends. A person addicted to drugs does not only spoil his own life but also of those around him.

Drugs can overpower a person’s ability to think and act. They can lead to several health hazards, behavioural problems and relationship issues. The safest bet is to stay away from drugs. People who get addicted to drugs have little chance to leave this addiction. They end up ruining their life and also cause a lot of suffering to their loved ones.

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English Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “Drug Addiction” for School, college Students, Long and Short Essay, for Class 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 Examination.

Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is now a global problem. This social cancer has spread its poisonous claw all over the world. Frustration is the cause of this addiction. Unemployment problem, political cataclysm, lack of family ties, lack of love affection etc. give rise to frustration. Again this addiction gives rise to social crimes. When the addicted cannot afford to buy drugs, they commit many kinds of social crimes like hijacking, looting, plundering killing; robbery etc. drugs bear a terrible effect on human body of a drug addict. Drug addicted people feel drowsy, lose appetite and sleep. The skin of their bodies begins to change its colour. Drug also damages the brain and all internal function of the body. However this curse should not be allowed to go on unchecked. At any cost we must get rid of this social cancer by highlighting its dangerous effect on human body and society. The remedy for drug addiction is not very easy. Greed of drug traders has grasped the whole world. This law must be enforced immediately. Our young generation must be aware of the dire consequence of drug abuse. Parents must careful to their treatment to children. Feelings of security under loving parents may hinder children from being victims of drugs. Religious and social values must be taught from early childhood. When each and every person is sincere to drive this curse of drug addiction from the society, human beings can get rid of it.

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August 29, 2022

Drug Addiction Essay- Suitable For All Class Students

Essay on Drug Addiction: A CURSE-1

Drug Addiction Essay – Introduction: Drug addiction is one of the most fatal curses that have fallen on today’s youth. The addicted person is gradually attacked and decayed mentally and physically by the toxic effects of drugs. Consequently, death eats up the life in him/her; she lives a dead life until she really dies. Therefore, drug-addiction is a great problem not only to a person or family, but also to the society.

What drug-addiction is: Drug-addiction is the taking of various drugs illegally and being addicted to it for their toxic and addictive effects. Though the addicted person may not perceive it, drugs gradually destroy the normal activeness of his/her brain.

The mysterious effects of drugs make the user feel as if s/he were roaming about freely in a care-free imaginary world. His/her feelings and likings are fully conquered by the apparent happieness and transient pleasure that the drugs give. As a result, the users can not understand that they are being tickled by nothing but death itself.

A number of drugs can be named which are widely used by people all over the world. These include bhang, ganja, hashish, morphine, LSD, mariguana, cocain, heroine, and so on. Heroine, however, is playing the greatest and toughest role in leading our young generation astray.

Don’t Forget to Check: Essay in English

Why addiction: There is no doubt that drug addiction destroys the inner beings of people, filches away their ability to live a normal life, and buys out their invaluable lives by offering them some very transient and wild pleasure. Yet, why do people take drugs? To speak on the perspective of our country, the reasons are many.

Firstly, some people want to make a try out of mere curiosity. Being instigated by the evil enticements of their friends, they want to have a taste of the so-called nectar. But, unfortunately, they are caught for ever. There is no way out for them. The adhesive evil influences of drugs have already engulfed them for ever. Secondly, some people wildly want to escape from life’s tortures, depressions, anxieties, and unbearable oppressions.

Various social, family-related, or personal failures may compel them to feel so. They are afraid of the reality; they do not want to face it. Life burdens on them a huge amount of torments. As a result, they seek pleasure in the bottle of wine or in the smoke of heroine or in other drugs. But alas, they buy a moment’s pleasure at the cost of life .

Thirdly, some young people, seeing that their parents are not living a happy life and have burnt the incense of their happiness and life’s essence in the pyre of bitter conjugal life or separation, take a negative attitude towards life and its existence. Depression and bitterness dry up the lively meadow of their tender minds. Life deceives theni , very coylessly . Then they indulge in drug-addiction and seek salvation of the soul therin . But death rescues them for good.

It must be mentioned, however, that sometimes innocent, foolish young chaps are ensnared by greedy rich drug-dealers. They want neither death nor addiction. But the wickedness of some avaricious dishonest businessmen cause them to die a premature death.

The Consequences of drug addiction : The consequence of drug-addiction is certain death. But it is no normal death. That death is characterized by agonies and pains. Addicted people are deprived of the opportunity to die at a time; they die little by little. The deadly effects of drugs damage the nervous system of the brain with the result that their memory power begins to collapse. The whole body becomes inactive.

But since addiction always needs to be fueled, addicted persons cannot stay away from drugs. The more they take drugs, the more they become dependent on them. A time comes when they feel that it is drugs which are giving them life. Thus they continue taking more and more drugs, and drugs go on envenoming their bodies more and more. They use drugs; drugs use them. At last drugs win the battle. The addicted people die.

If we look at other consequences of drugaddiction, we must say that it is even more destructive than death. Those who once become drug-addicted, become almost mad to get the money needed to buy more drugs. This, in the first place, necessitates them to squeeze their family wealth and money.

When they fall short of money, they take up arms and fall on people. Thus, they hunt for money illegally, which cause others’ distress, even death. Thus people’s lives are threatened, peace is broken in the community. The system of law and order degenerate. The whole society suffers.

How this problem can be solved : A number of effective measures need to be taken to solve this problem. Of them, the first and foremost step is to ensure that no drugs can be smuggled into the country. If there is any deficiency in the law in this regard, it must be reconsidered. Simultaneously, the young generation of the country is to be made aware of the dangers of drug-addiction.

They must be warned against its consequences. The selling and taking of drugs should be declared punishable, and exemplary punishments must be given to the big guns of the society who are involved in the drug selling activities. At the same time, rehabilitation centers are to be established for those who have already become addicted, and thus their lives have to be saved. And most important of all, those who are involved in drug smuggling must be socially and politically boycotted.

Conclusion: Drug-addiction is a relentless curse for the society. We all should join hands with one another to form a peaceful society where nobody will be addicted. We must bear in mind that only such a society can progress and develop.

Essay on Drug Addiction : A CURSE 2

Essay on Drug Addiction – Introduction: Addiction of any kind is a curse or a cause of rum. It means to be addicted to taking intoxicant. It degrades an addict to the level of beats or takes to death’s door. Of all addictions like smoking, taking tobacco in any form, drinking etc. drug addiction like taking heroin, morphine etc. is the most dangerous and most life killing.

Reasons : There are many reasons behind taking drugs or being drug addicted. Unemployment, frustration, the disappointment of Any expected target, lack of social and human rights, mental wibulation of any sort, over rapaciousness, over greed, bad company exploitation, poverty, injustice, heredity etc. are the responsible factors of drug addiction.

Unemployment : Ours is a developing country. Her most people particularly educated young boys and girls are unemployed. They have job facilities to be provided.

Poverty : Poverty is a curse. It makes people frustrated, inactive and surpasses people to advance further.

Mental tribulation : Mental tribulation also indicates the mental format for any sort of reason. When a man cannot find any solution to problems, he is at a loss as to what to do. Both exploitation and injustice bring the victim mental torment.

Disappointment : Disappointment in any respect causes mental torturing at any moment.

Bad company: The influence of a bad company is not less serious. Mixing with it, an unaddict becomes addicted to intoxicant.

Heredity: Heredity is a factor which either leads the generation to the path of right or misleads them to the wrong way. Its Influence cannot be ignored. An addicted father cannot have control over his children. To get rid of these young boys and girls take up drugs to feel fine, free and relaxed following their fore

Drugs : Various types of drugs are used and taken by the weledicts. All are not of the same quality and same valued. Drugs available in our country are the heroin, chassis, morphine, choros, opium wine, sedative pills, pathedin, phencidite, nix, etc. Of them, heroin is the best known and most dangerous.

How addicted : At the beginning young boys and girls con in touch with their addicted friends and take drugs out of fun ar curiosity. Gradually they become addicted. Then they are influenced by their instincts and cannot give up taking drugs.

How are drugs available : Drugs are available like day commodities. Smuggling of drugs is one of the best ways. Ope drug selling is strictly restricted or prohibited but the authority knows that the addicts can easily manage them buying from the underground world or black marketers. Now drugs are smuggled an over the countries in the world. Reports say one kg. of heroin sells about one crore taka. There is also an international smuggling body to supply drugs to different countries through their borders.

The symptom of an addict : The addicts can be found out from their symptoms. They become fickle manded, drowsy, lin and thin, hot-tempered, indifferent, unmindful restless, peevish, crabbed and thoughtless.

Dangers : Drugs bring a heavy loss of health. They make the addicts appetiteless, abnormal, impatient, intolerant, unsocial, inhuman, cruel, heartless and bankrupt. The addicts do not take care of their families but keep ties with other family members, respect their parents, superiors, and teachers. They lose their human qualities, fellow – feelings, friendship etc. But taking drugs makes the addicts become terrorists, hijackers, ruffians, robbers etc.

They are seen in the blind avenues, at the street corners, and in the crime points. The addicts do not behave humanly and politely even with their parents, wives and children, let alone unknown passers-by, pedestrians and people. They generally lie in wait like the cats which lies in wait for the rat. The addicts do not have control over themselves let alone their wives, children, and families.

Many a time, the addicts being over addicted lay beside the road uttering obnoxious words. When they are unable to manage money to buy drugs, they move about madly. Then they don’t feel hesitated to involve themselves in harmful activities.

Remedy : Necessary steps need to be taken immediately to prevent the addicts from taking drugs in order to save them. Love and affection, to value their status, to meet up their demand are the best antidotes to save them from being addicted. They should be given to understand the importance of their roles on themselves or on national development.

The smuggling of drugs should be stopped are controlled with an iron hand. The smugglers should be given a capital punishment. A preventive committee should be formed to keep a watchful eye over both smuggling, drug selling, and drug Taking. The unemployed people should be provided with jobs so that they can earn their livelihood. Necessary arrangements for keeping them tension-free should precisely be made. More serious addicts should be hospitalized for proper treatment.

Conclusion : Drug taking always drags the addicts towards an immature and uncertain death. If the country remains drug-free, the countrymen of all classes and tastes will live a very happy life.

Essay on Drug Addiction-3

Essay on Drug Addiction – Introduction: Drug is a necotic or substance that seriously affects the structures and functioning of living beings. Drug addiction is an imprecation to the addicts at any age and any time. Drug addiction is not a new thing. It has increased alarmingly during the last 50 years.

Reasons/causes of drugs : Every action has some causes behind. For this, there are some important reasons for drug addiction. Frustration, association, availability of intoxicant, tobacco unemployment, beastly mind etc are the causative factors of drug addiction. Many a time, the unemployed people become restless.

To them, life becomes a burden. Then they take to drugs as they think it will remove their tension, burden etc. The young generation becomes drug addicted to frustration, unemployment, poverty, lack of love, sympathy, and disappointment. negligence of youngsters, increasing gross materialism and selfishness among parents are other important reasons for becoming drug addicted.

Harms: The fate of the addict is serious. Many a time he is to depend on others. Drug-addiction leads many other evils and abuses, such as telling lies, cheating, committing to theft, robbing passers-by of their goods, pick-pocketing and other anti-social activities. He can, under no circumstances, refrain (himself) from taking drugs. He by any means tries to have it in due time at any cost.

A drug addict also does something in the family that ruins the peace and order. He falls out with other family members for money. Even the steals ornaments, jewelry, money, utensils, clothes and what not to manage money with a view to buying drugs. The other members of the family remain in tension for his harmful activities.

It helps him see strange things that have no existence at all to him. Everything under the sun seems to look yellow like the thing in the jaundiced eye. He dies a painful death losing character crown and glory, money, health, family reputation, aristocracy, and good-will. A drug addict can commit suicide at any moment. He becomes a burden of society, a big blot and a curse to parents, family. society and the nation.

Some drugs: There are some drugs. They are the chorus, ganja, heroine, brown sugar, phencidil, uphium, morphin, pethidrine, cocaine etc.

Remedy : The drug addicts become inactive soon. So its necessary remedy is urgently needed. To remove young generation from drug addiction the govt. the educated and considerate people should come forward with necessary steps. The victims should be made conscious of it by creating awareness among them. The strict watch should be kept on the borders wherefrom drugs are smuggled in the country.

A great awareness should be created among people of all classes through mass media like radios, television, newspaper etc. Public meetings, corner lectures, audio, and video shows should frequently be held to warn the addicted people against the drug-abuses / legal drug selling, Drug importing should be banned with an iron hand. The drug vendors and drug sellers should be given the exemplary punishment for its open sale.

The addicted people need to be rehabilitated, guided, controlled and looked after. Besides, more and more anti-addiction centers can be opened in cities, towns and villages, Strong preventive and curative measures should immediately be taken. Both penalty and fine should be imposed upon the addicts.

Drug-taking places : Drug addiction is an acute problem in Bangladesh. Our young generation has involved themselves in laking drugs. They are habituated of or accustomed to drug-taking and do anti-social works sitting or standing at the corner of the streets or in the slum or in any secret place or room. The police and the vigilant teams should be debuted on the drug-taking places for its prevention.

Conclusion: Drug addiction is a curse that causes fatal diseases. So more and more people, govt. and non-govt. agencies, social groups, conscious youth organization, and other corporate bodies should come forward to fight against it.

Essay on Drug Addiction-4

Youth and drugs essay:.

Essay on Drug Addiction – Introduction: Youth is the golden season of everyone’s life on earth. A man harvests the yield of seeds what he shows in youth the best period of life. The mind remains fresh in youth. It also contributes to the growth of a nation in the most effective manner. The energy in youth can channelize for building up a pure heritage and nation for sustaining its growth while drugs refer to intoxications. A drug-addicted youngster becomes a terror to himself, to the nation and to the land.

Causes: Many reasons are there behind taking or being addicted to drugs. When a young person comes in touch with an addict, he gets drugs for the first time and thus enjoys their unenjoyed influence. The usage for a single time leads him to drug addiction. The desperate one gets the touch of drugs from suspicious drug peddlers and they organize gangs in all the cities and towns. Suffering from frustrations, unemployment, pauperism, association, disappointment, exploitation, injustice, scanty earning and other unsolved problems a youngster become drug addicted.

Young and drugs: Youth and drugs are not closely related but have opposite wings to remain. Luminal, maudrax, alchohol, banned medicines, heroine, wine, uphium, morphin etc are regarded as drugs. The youngsters take smack, brown sugar, and other contraband drugs which are spoiling their lives day by day. Drugs have a permanent effect on the mind because a drug addicted person cannot escape (from) it for life.

The young mind stops thinking positively. His body becomes lethargic and he strives to remain under the effect of drugs. Drugs lead the addicts to behave abnormally for his psyche becomes very sick. In our country, some boys are the wage earners of their families. Being affected extremely they fall victims to drugs and lead the families to extermination.

Likewise, some girls being addicted to drugs lose their character, morality, women virtues and virginity. Young boys having failed to manage money become terrorists, kidnappers, rulings, miscreants and indulge themselves in inhuman, anti-social, unlawful and public nuisance acts. While the young girls finding no legal ways roam about in search of their preys. Their chastity or virginity becomes deflowered for sexual abuse or fornication.

The place where drugs are available: Drugs are available in metropolitan cities. The dishonest businessmen, the smugglers, and other blockers deal in drugs secretly. The drug sellers use the young chaps to get their purposes served. A young boy or girl once caught in the intricate racket, he/she can never get out of this.

Reports say that the USA is a haven for drug peddlers, despite All administrative efforts for controlling this menace. In India, drugs are smuggled from across the border through airports and sports. The customs officials seize record amounts of heroine and other drugs but many consignments escape their watchful eyes.

Demerits: Drug is a dangerous thing. It spoils the young generation of the country. If the youngsters get addicted, it is hard to save them. It is a social and national curse. Kidnapping, robbery, burglary, hijacking, infanticide, genocide, matricide, terrorism are increasing by leaps and bounds all over the country out of drug action.

Remedy: The ready for the drug problems among the youngsters is a crying need. It mainly depends on the will force/willpower of the addicts. They must stop taking them and allocate more time to studies, sports, and career-building. The govt. should establish Drug Rehabilitation Centres all over the country. Police personnel should be deputed to keep their watchful eyes over addicted youngsters.

Medical treatments and psychological counseling facilities should be made available. They should be dealt with deep love and affection. The family, friends, and relatives must extend all sorts of co-operation. They should remove the frustrations from them. They should be advised that a drugged youth means a drugged nation which has no future at all. The social organization and the NGOs can play vital roles in this context.

Conclusion: Drug menace is assuming a very dangerous turn. It will spoil the nation’s future. It must be eliminated so that the country may become a better place to live in.

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An essay on drug addiction with outline and quotations

2nd year. FSc part 2, ICS part 2, FA part 2 and BA students can see this excellent essay on Drug Addiction and learn it for their exams. The essay is given with outlines and quotations. You can save this essay as a pdf file if you want.

The essay covers 300 - 400 words and you can skip some sentences if you want to keep it to 200 words limit.

Drug Addiction Essay with outlines and quotations

The essay has been written for the help of the students of grade 10 to grade 12. Anyhow this essay can be used for any exam as it is an excellent essay. You can see a list of related essays topics here.

An essay on abuses and effects of drug addiction

Drug addiction essay for 2nd year and ba with outlines and quotations

1. Introduction and definitions

2. Kinds of Drugs

3. Drug Addiction in Pakistan

4. Causes and factors behind drug addiction

5. Personal and social effects of Drug addiction

6. Prevention of drug abuses

7. Conclusion

Addiction is an adaptation. It’s not you–it’s the cage you live in - Johann Hari

We don’t choose to be addicted; what we choose to do is deny our pain - Anonymous

There’s not a drug on earth that can make life meaningful - Anonymous

You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town - Anne Lamott

Addicts are addicted to their drugs, and their families are addicted to hope - Fredrik Backman

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Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Keith Humphreys

Every Tuesday and Friday, Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation about something that matters, like today’s episode with Keith Humphreys. Listen wherever you get your podcasts .

Transcripts of our episodes are made available as soon as possible. They are not fully edited for grammar or spelling.

This Is a Very Weird Moment in the History of Drug Laws

The war on drugs failed, but decriminalization is facing its own backlash. what’s next.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From New York Times Opinion, this is “The Ezra Klein Show.”

In 2020, voters in Oregon passed a ballot measure, a drug reform policy, that was beyond what I ever thought would pass in any state in America.

Overnight, Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize most street drugs.

Even drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, and oxycodone.

It’s a sea change. Measure 110, which was passed by 58 percent of Oregon voters, treats active drug users as potential patients rather than criminals.

I’ve been involved in drug policy reform for a long time. I got into it in high school. And this was not a politics that seemed possible back then. In that era, the idea that you would have a state decriminalize heroin possession, I mean, it was unthinkable. But in the coming decades, there would be a real turn on the war on drugs — the overpolicing, the mass incarceration, the racism, the broken families. It was not achieving, as far as anybody could tell, anybody’s policy goals.

So we began to move in this other direction. Oregon was at the vanguard of this, but it wasn’t alone. In Washington state, you saw the Supreme Court overturn the law that had made a lot of drug possessions and felonies. In a bunch of different cities, you had these very liberal district attorneys who instead of running on tough on crime platforms were running against overpolicing, against mass incarceration.

Something that had really never been tried before in America was all of a sudden being tried. We were moving towards a radically different equilibrium than anybody had imagined even just a few years before on drugs. I mean, you could walk down the streets — you can right now in many states — and buy all kinds of cannabis products from shops. It was, again, unthinkable.

But this politics and these policies are not working out the way people had hoped. Chesa Boudin, who was the district attorney in San Francisco, one of these very liberal set of reformers, he was recalled. Legislation was passed rebuilding an enforcement structure around drugs in Washington state. There are a lot of concerns and, I think, quite bright ones about how cannabis legalization and particularly cannabis commercialization is working out in a bunch of places.

And in Oregon, Measure 110 was gutted. The results of it had not been what many of the advocates had hoped for. Drug policy feels very unsettled to me right now. The war on drugs was a failure, often a cruel one. The war on the war on drugs has not been the success its advocates had hoped. So what comes next?

Keith Humphreys is a professor at Stanford University who specializes in addiction and drug policy. He’s advised the White House, California, the UK. I always find that he balances compassion and rigor unusually well. So I wanted to have him walk me through what he has seen and where he’s landed. As always, my email for guest suggestions, for reflections, [email protected].

Keith Humphreys, welcome to the show.

Thanks, Ezra. Good to talk to you.

There’s a tendency to just use this term “drugs.” And that tendency just belies a huge amount of variation, I think, in how people think about different drugs, how they think about opioids, how they think about stimulants, how they think about psychedelics, how they think about cannabis, alcohol, caffeine. Is this a useful term?

So “drug” is an incredibly vague term that covers an enormous number of drugs that have very different properties. The biggest one, I think, is the capacity to instill addiction. People don’t get addicted to LSD, for example. But they do get addicted to heroin. That’s really important. They do get addicted to nicotine. That’s really important. So you would think about those drugs differently, the ones that have the ability to generate an illness with obsessive compulsion to use in the face of destructive consequences over and over and over again. Those belong in their own class, I think.

The second thing is that we should stop pretending that legal and illegal drugs are so different for lots of reasons. We could learn much more about what to do with illegal drugs if we looked at legal drugs. When I talk to policymakers, they say, well, I know what I don’t want. And that’s a carceral, racist war on drugs. I say, OK, I’m glad that option is off the table. That, of course, leaves millions and millions of other options to choose from.

And how some people have framed that is there’s really only two choices here. You can have that, that horrible thing. Or you can throw the switch the other way — tolerance, acceptance, public sale. And that’s going to be better.

And the problem with that argument, even before we get into what happened in places like Oregon, is the number one drug that kills people on the planet is cigarettes. The number one drug associated with arrests, violence, and incarceration is alcohol. Those drugs are legal. It’s not that drugs suddenly become easy to deal with once they’re legal.

You get to pick the set of problems you have, as our mutual friend Mark Kleiman used to say. But you don’t get to get rid of those problems. So people are right to identify substantial costs to prohibition of drugs or for that matter of everything. But that is different than saying there is some other framework that doesn’t also include pretty substantial costs.

So this major drug policy reform went into effect in Oregon in 2021, Measure 110. It passes. What happens next?

Part of what happens is exactly what the reformers hoped would happen, which is that there’s a dramatic drop in arrests — arrests for drug possession and arrests for drug dealing. So they say, wow, that’s a victory. On the other hand, some of the other aspects of it didn’t work out the way people planned.

So there was a system that they thought would encourage people to enter treatment in replacement of criminal penalties. You’d be written a ticket, let’s say, if you were using fentanyl on a park bench. And it said there’s $100 fine for doing this, but you don’t have to pay the fine. All you have to do is call this toll free number, and you can get a health assessment and a potential referral to treatment. Well, it turned out that over 95 percent of the people got those tickets simply threw them away, which, keeping with the spirit of the law, there was no consequence for doing that. Hardly anybody called. The new body they set up to distribute the new funds had very serious management problems because the people — they may have been terrific human beings, but they weren’t actually experienced in how do you run a government bureaucracy.

So there was no real improvement in the availability of treatment, no real improvement in the number of people interested in seeking it. And those things may well have contributed to Oregon having a very high overdose rate. So currently going up about 40 percent per year, 4-0. Of course, some of that is due to fentanyl, which is raising — I’m here in California. Our rate’s up 5 percent, but it’s certainly not up 40 percent.

And the last thing is the intangible. And I say this as someone who goes to Oregon a lot and talks to people there almost every week, which is just the change in neighborhoods was really palpable of what it was like to go out in the street or try to go to a park, how much visible drug use you saw, how much disorder connected to it. And this was accentuated even further by the pandemic. There were fewer people on the street who had the choice. So the experience became more frightening as people were perhaps outnumbered in their neighborhood by people who had clearly visible problems were using drugs. And that generated significant and, I think, understandable upset as to how things were going in Oregon.

So not everybody agrees that Measure 110 was a failure, certainly not as a policy. I mean, it definitely failed politically. The Drug Policy Alliance says that it failed because of disinformation because there was a concerted effort to undermine it. And they cite data from the Oregon Health Authority saying that, look, health needs screenings increased by almost 300 percent. Substance use disorder treatment increased by 143 percent. Is there some argument to this that we’re looking at the wrong measures and, judged according to its goals, 110 was actually kind of working?

If what you care about the most was a drop in drug arrests and involvement of people who use drugs and deal drugs in the criminal justice system, then it was a success clearly because there was very little contact anymore between law enforcement and people who sell and deal drugs. But on the health side, no, I don’t think that. And those statistics on treatment I believe count a lot of one time consultations. I think what most people, particularly people who love someone who has an addiction, are looking for is evidence on people getting better, people getting into recovery, not just at some point having some transitory contact with the system.

There’s another argument that’s made in the Drug Policy Alliance document and other things I’ve seen and that has occurred to me, too, because when I think about Oregon, when I think about San Francisco, when I think about Washington State, I mean, you’re talking about places with very broken housing markets. We’ll talk I’m sure more about the Tenderloin.

But the Tenderloin is dystopic in the way the Tenderloin is dystopic because it is a giant homeless encampment. And that was true well before the current wave of drug policy liberalization. And so one argument here is that the drug system is being blamed for policymakers’ inability to solve these other problems. Is there something to that?

There’s an intense argument out here in the Bay Area between people who say, look, the homeless crisis is just a side effect of addiction. And people say, look, the addiction crisis is just a side effect of homelessness. And I would say they’re both wrong in that, even within my personal group of acquaintances, I know people who lost their home because of an addiction. And it’s not that the housing market discharged them, they had an empty property. But they were out on the streets. And then there are people who lost their housing and then were living next to drug markets on the streets and developed an addiction there.

So I don’t think we can separate that Gordian knot. And I don’t know if in policy terms we have to. I mean, I think we should be able to pursue policies that increase the access to housing and still work on policies that reduce the damage from addiction.

So to go back to Oregon and one of the theories that was operating there was that we’re going to move more money into treatment. We’re going to make it easier and safer in the sense that you will not be arrested for seeking treatment. We’re going to make it easier and safer for you to seek treatment. We’re going to make it cheap to seek treatment. Why didn’t more people seek treatment?

That theory reflects a misunderstanding about the nature of addiction, which is that it is like, say, chronic pain or depression, conditions that feel lousy for the person who has them all day long, and they will do anything to get rid of them. Drug addiction is not like that. It has many painful experiences. It destroys people’s lives.

But drug use feels in the short term incredibly good. That is why people do it. They’re getting intense reward. So they are ambivalent about giving that up in a way no one with chronic pain is ambivalent about giving up chronic pain and no one with depression is ambivalent about giving up depression.

The other point about it is a huge number of the problems from drug use and addiction fall on other people rather than the person concerned. And so people like me who work in this field, we get calls and calls and calls from mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children concerned about their loved ones. But it’s very rare we get a call from somebody concerned about their own use.

Take the law out of it and look at a drug that is legal and widely accepted. Studies of people who seek treatment for an alcohol problem, slightly over 9 in 10 of those people say they were pressured to come. And the pressure might be family pressure, mom and dad said or my spouse said, this keeps up, I’m moving out. The boss said, one more day drunk at work, and you’re fired. Doctor said, you keep doing this, you will be dead in six months. It could be this is your fourth or fifth arrest for drunk driving, and your lawyer says, you better get into treatment because the judge otherwise might throw you in the penitentiary. That is overwhelmingly the situation of people seeking treatment — pressure from outside.

So let’s just remove all pressure. No legal pressure, no disapproval. Then people will spontaneously say, OK, I really want to make a change, and I’ll come in. Look, those of us who do this for a living, we pray for patients like that. It’s great when they come in, but that is just a very rare person.

Let me ask about this from the other direction, which is maybe this all just wasn’t nearly liberal enough because one of the arguments made — and I do think there’s evidence behind it — is people are getting stuff they don’t know. And the reason people die from fentanyl laced heroin or simply fentanyl that they thought was heroin is because they don’t have a source they can trust. Part of the difficulty here is, yes, people end up addicted. We don’t have really good treatments for addiction that we can come back to whether you think that is a true claim.

And then we also make it very difficult for people and dangerous for people to get what they need to avoid withdrawal to keep feeling normal. And if we made that easier on them, if we made it so they didn’t have to go to a place like the Tenderloin and instead get something safe, they would not die from overdose. They would not die from fentanyl laced heroin. Is there validity to that?

Yeah, well, certainly using fentanyl in an illicit market is extraordinarily dangerous. And my colleagues and I are trying to figure out the death rate per year of a regular user. It might be as high as 5 percent. So that is an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do.

And the arguments you’re making have been influential in this region to the point that if you go up slightly even further in the Pacific Northwest into Canada and British Columbia, they’ve gone so far to say it’s the government’s job to supply these drugs because prohibition makes things more dangerous, so we have a positive obligation to do this. But the problem with that reasoning is we did flood communities with legally made, consistent quality, clearly labeled opioids for years. And the net effect was millions of people getting addicted and hundreds of thousands of people dying.

That’s, in fact, how we got here. I think everyone knows what OxyContin is, all the other opioids that were really pushed out there. So it’s just really hard to sustain that argument that at a population level, huge access to addictive drugs is not going to cause a lot of addiction and overdose as long as they’re clearly labeled and of consistent quality. If that were true, we would never had an opioid crisis.

So Measure 110 passes in 2020. It goes into effect in 2021. What happens to it in 2023?

At that point, overdoses were way up. And popular sentiment has shifted pretty dramatically. I think quite a few people felt burned. They hadn’t gotten what they’d been promised. And that included people who, for example, had relatives who were addicted who they assume would be getting into treatment and recovery and then weren’t able to get services.

Neighborhoods are decaying. Polling showed that about two thirds of the Oregon population wanted Measure 110 repealed in part or in whole. And interestingly, those sentiments were even stronger among Black and Hispanic Oregon residents.

In response to all this, both Houses by very large margins replaced Measure 110 with a different approach to drug policy. It restored the ability to impose criminal penalties, to use those penalties particularly to leverage people to change their behavior — for example, by restoring drug courts and other kinds of diversion and monitoring programs. It is definitely not correct to say they reinstated the war on drugs because, it has to be remembered, Oregon never really had a war on drugs policy. They were the first state in the nation to decriminalize marijuana over 50 years ago, in fact. They decriminalized marijuana. They had a very low rate of putting nonviolent criminals into prisons.

So it was more a restoration of that progressive, liberty loving approach that they’d had before but supplemented with a lot more funding for treatment, which is something they’ve had a lot of problems standing up for years, which had nothing to do with Measure 110. The treatment system was in very bad shape before Measure 110. And it still is.

If you’ve been around drug policy conversations for a long time, you’ll have heard a lot, I have heard a lot, about Portugal. And Portugal is a place where they decriminalized drugs. And it has been a much more sustainable, solid policy. So what is different about Portugal?

Portugal is different in policy and different in culture. So they definitely don’t throw people in prison, and it’s decriminalized. But they do have what are called dissuasion commissions that do assessments of people, say, who arrested in the street for using drugs. And you have to show up to this assessment. And they can push and nudge people to seek care.

And they can also apply penalties if they want to. They can say, you’re a cab driver. You’ve been caught using cocaine. And we’re going to take your cab license away until you seek treatment and stop using cocaine. Things like that. It is not a war on drugs approach, but it is a push in the policy. And that has never been taken on seriously by American advocates who cite Portugal.

Portugal also has a universal health care. We do not have that. We are the only developed Western country that doesn’t have that. So that makes it easier to get help irrespective of what the laws are. And Portugal had at least at the time of their decriminalization a very nice network of treatment services and harm reduction services for people. And all that together worked in the policy mix.

The other point is the culture of Portugal is much more family oriented. It’s much more communitarian than American general and certainly much more true than our freedom loving Libertarian Pacific Coast. If you spend time in Lisbon, you have a common experience of running into people and say, where are you born? And they’ll say, well, Lisbon. And where were your parents born? Lisbon. And they still live in my neighborhood. And my grandparents live in my neighborhood, too. You never hear this in San Francisco or Portland. Everybody is from somewhere else. And many people actually moved to the West to get away from everybody else, to get away from social constraints. I want to be my own person. Well, Portugal is the opposite of that.

So there’s a lot of constraint on behavior. It’s loving constraint, but it is constraint, those boundaries around people’s behavior that don’t exist out in the West with the exception of recent immigrant communities, which, by the way, have very low rates of drug problems.

This is something that I always think people underestimate at least about San Francisco, which is one of these cities under the best, which is that it is a culture of enormous tolerance. And that is a lot of what makes San Francisco remarkable, what has made it a home for L.G.B.T.Q. people when that was a very rare thing to be, what has made it open to all these weird ideas from computer scientists and strange nerds who came around with their thoughts about AI and their thoughts about visual operating systems.

And people don’t like necessarily the dark side of this open, tolerant, nonjudgmental way of looking at the world. There’s a bit of a divided soul, a difficulty judging, a discomfort with paternalism, and a kind of optimism that if you let subcultures have their freedom and grapple their way forward, they’ll find their way to an equilibrium and that we should be very, very, very skeptical of heavy handed particularly law enforcement as a way of changing culture.

That is a very nice description of the city we both love. And we’d be much poorer without San Francisco’s embrace of individual freedom and all the great things that it gives, which you just articulated. To me, the resolution here is taking addiction seriously as a problem.

So if you look at somebody who is using methamphetamine five times a day, you could say, well, that is really an expression of their individual freedom. I need to respect that. But if you recognize the likelihood that they are not particularly free because they are addicted, the inconsistency disappears. And so I feel personally no contradiction between saying the state should intervene with pressure — for example, mandating people into treatment. For me, that doesn’t conflict with individual freedom at all. So when I talked to somebody who said, look, you need to just let people do what they want, I say, look. I volunteer in the Tenderloin. And I carry naloxone, the overdose rescue medication, with me. If someone were in front of me in overdose and dying, should I administer naloxone even though the person can’t consent, they’re unconscious?

And I’ve never had anyone say, you’re right. You should just respect their right to die. They say, well, no, of course, you should do that, conceding the principle that there are times that the thing we can do the most to help other people is take care of them when they were not in a fit state to take care of themselves.

Is that a straw man, though? I can’t really think of people at least that I have heard arguing that somebody under the throes of heroin addiction is free and is choosing the life they live, that they’re likely to be happy with the world they now exist in.

One of the really striking things about this new rhetoric about drug policy out here is how rarely addiction is even mentioned. The fact that there’s so much focus on drug overdose, which is, of course, terrible, but that is treated as the only index and not addiction reflects a viewpoint that that’s not either an important thing or not that real a thing. Because if it were, you would note that in the heyday of wild opioid prescribing, there were fewer overdoses, but there were far more people who were addicted to those substances. And that made their lives dramatically worse.

I also see the lack of attention to addiction in the investment in harm reduction without the idea of using it as a springboard into treatment, which to me is a very novel idea that’s only become more powerful in the last couple of years where people feel like that in itself is the goal versus trying to eliminate addiction and get somebody into recovery.

So this is complicated, I think, because there’s this interaction in this period between what you might call elite and mass drug culture. In this period, you have the rise of a lot of super popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss, who are very open about their psychedelic use. You have Michael Pollan’s great book on psychedelics, “How to Change Your Mind.” I do a bunch of podcasts about psychedelics. You have a book by Carl Hart, who’s a well-known drug researcher at Columbia, called “Drug Use for Grownups” where he talks openly about using heroin to relax at the end of the day. Ketamine use rises in a very public way.

And so you have this change in drug culture among elites. It becomes much more acceptable to talk about how you use drugs to improve your life that I think also makes it look hypocritical to have a punitive approach not just legally but culturally towards other kinds of drug use. Do you think there’s something to that?

Yeah. I’ve seen that very much, too. And people with a platform, they’ve got a hearing. One of the most important things to understand about Measure 110, for example, is it passed easily. It was not that controversial as people thought it would be. And that elite change, I think, was part of the dynamic.

And definitely, you could see that in psychedelics in Oregon, which, as you know, has set up an entire system to administer psychedelics as a healing force. At least that’s the theory. These are transformative medicines often, by the way, in advance of evidence. But put that aside for a minute. And that is a remarkable change.

I think the criticism you could make of people who are well off and well resourced and have a lot of social capital and have access to treatment and health care whenever they need it is that they could be overgeneralizing what it’s like to use drugs in that situation versus the situation most people find themselves in with a lot less resources and a lot fewer things to catch them if they develop a problem. Now, some would say, well, the real problem is the law, and it’s the punishment you get and all that. And that can absolutely ruin people’s lives. There’s no question to that.

But there’s also quite a few people whose lives are ruined by drugs, including cannabis. There’s some people whose lives have been ruined by psychedelics and certainly people’s lives ruined by cocaine and fentanyl and so on. You don’t think about that much maybe when you are in a really comfy, well-resourced environment. But the average person who lives in a more typical environment does think about it, does have to worry about it. And that gives them a different understanding of what drugs are, how risky they are, and what they want their government to do about them.

That all makes sense to me. But something else I would say was here was that I would have described the consensus for a very long time as drug use is bad, and policing is good. And to some degree, by the time of 110 and some other reforms we were seeing in other states, I think that there was — and you can tell me if this tracks for you — a belief that drug use is somewhere between neutral and good depending on the drug, and policing is bad.

Yeah. There’s no way to separate what happened in Oregon from the murder of George Floyd and from Black Lives Matter. I mean, the protests against police were as intense in Oregon as anywhere they were in the United States and indeed throughout the region and a lot of concern — and it’s got to be said — a lot of justifiable concern about racism and policing. And a huge portion of that was focused on drug enforcement. And that flip was clearly part of why the bill passed.

In terms of drug use, I think there’s a split. I mean, so there are people who accept it’s a health matter. So let’s move to that part of the population, some of whom will say, it’s not a good idea, but we should add health services, and I certainly wouldn’t punish anybody for it, to people would say, no, it is good. In fact, it is actively good. Drug use is good. Drug use should be accepted and maybe even promoted or celebrated. And the debate has been, I think, between those two strands, whereas in the ‘80s, it was more between “drugs are bad — period” and “they should be legal even if they’re good or bad.”

You’ve written about billboards that I used to see and always thought were somewhat strange around fentanyl use and showing happy people — and these were in San Francisco — showing happy people and suggesting if you’re going to use this stuff, use it with friends. Use it around others. Make sure you’re not doing it alone.

One way of looking at them was as a destigmatization of this. It’s totally fine. Just be safe. And another way of looking at it was a total last gasp, but we don’t know what to do. We’re going to try this approach to everything else is failing. Maybe if we completely turn around our approach and just try to change the social dynamics in which people use, that might have an effect on the margin.

So several things there you’re saying, I think they’re important. One is, absolutely. In the face of all this death and all this suffering, we’re all desperate for solutions. And I think it is good that we are thinking in very fundamental ways about what the solutions are. That should be the case when you have this much suffering.

I think it is not irrelevant that these changes have unfolded during a pandemic where, let’s face it, we all went a little crazy. It was very stressful. It was emotional. Many policy debates took on a very personal cast. And we did rock between different extremes in our politics.

With the billboards — and just to describe these billboards, what to me is interesting about them is that the public health department signed off on these. And if they had been promoting beer, they would’ve been outraged by them because they would’ve said, well, you’re making it look like this is something young, attractive, successful people do. And it’s a lot of fun. And you’re understanding all the risk. And you’re going to be tempting kids. You’re basically giving people really bad information. But it wasn’t alcohol. It was fentanyl.

And so I guess they felt it was reasonable on the idea that this will destigmatize. And then people will be comfortable talking about it and using fentanyl together. And they would show people in the apartment having a nice party. Then they could take care of each other in the event of an overdose. It would be a social event, and then you could be there. To me, it’s an extraordinary chain of reasoning. But that’s where San Francisco got in 2021.

I lived in San Francisco during this period. It also had a highly liberalizing attitude on drugs. It had significant open air drug markets, particularly in the Tenderloin.

But what I always saw as the core thing that was infuriating people because I lived in places like D.C. that had a much higher murder rate but where crime was much less of an angry political issue was a feeling that the government was tolerating disorder, that it wasn’t fighting it and failing or fighting it and failing to triumph over what’s a very hard problem, but that the government was allowing it, that they were allowing these open air drug markets, that they were allowing people to shoot up on the street, and that it turned out the politics of permitting disorder were really, really, really bad.

Yes, they are. And I volunteer in the Tenderloin. So I’ve spent a lot of time in those neighborhoods and definitely pick up that sense. And, say, for a number of people would express it in an even harsher way, which is the government is tolerating it where I live in a way they would never tolerate it in a wealthier neighborhood. That could be coupled also with a sense of some of those people in the wealthier neighborhoods say this should be tolerated, but they’re not having to tolerate it. I am. And that generates understandable anger.

And this has had an interesting racial dimension in my observation of it is that a lot of this tolerance has been pushed in the name of racial justice often by white college educated progressives but is unpopular with many, many people of color who live in low income neighborhoods because they’re paying the cost of it while it’s being advocated for for people who they don’t even know who live in neighborhoods that don’t have these kinds of problems.

I was reading recently a lawsuit filed by residents of the Tenderloin against San Francisco. And it was saying in a way that is illegal and unconstitutional, it was alleging that San Francisco — and everybody knows this to be true — was not enforcing laws in the Tenderloin the way it was in other parts of the city, that it had settled on a containment strategy in the Tenderloin. And the Tenderloin is really rough for people who have not walked around there. I mean, the disorder, the despair, the difficulty’s incredibly visible. And one of the things that was noted in the lawsuit was that the Tenderloin has a much higher ratio of children than most parts of San Francisco. It has a lot of immigrant families, a lot of poor families. And so this is being tolerated where really a lot of kids were.

And the argument was that this was not allowed where richer people lived in San Francisco, and it was where these poorer people lived. And even knowing that, it was striking to see it laid out and to see these experiences of people who were living amidst it laid out and their fury that containment was being done on their backs.

Why are there hundreds of dealers standing on street corners in the Tenderloin and in the south of Market? They are not there to service the neighborhood. Because if you live in a neighborhood and your dealer lives in the neighborhood, your dealer doesn’t have to stand on a corner. You know each other. You can text. You can just stop by and make your transactions.

Open air markets are there to service strangers. They’re so that buyers and sellers can find each other really fast. And in an open air market, it’s serving people who don’t live in the neighborhood. There’s no reason there’d be that many dealers. The Tenderloin doesn’t need that many dealers to pay for its own drug use.

So it’s a legitimate gripe if you live in a neighborhood and you’re trying to raise a family in a neighborhood that is taken over by an open air market to say, we’re taking all the harms of all the drug use of the other neighborhoods where they don’t allow open air dealing. But people know they can just drive from there to here pick up their drugs and then go off about their way. And that’s unfair. And so I sympathize with the residents of the Tenderloin who are raising that very legitimate gripe about not getting equal protection under the law.

One question I’ve had about all this is how much of it is a set of policies that might’ve worked or certainly worked better than they did, but fentanyl rolled a grenade underneath this? I mean, a lot of this thinking was happening years before fentanyl just completely invaded America.

The emergence and dominance of powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl among the opioids or super strong methamphetamine that is now a larger share of the market than cocaine has, I think, undermined basic assumptions about drug policy across the world. When a kind of person who might come into, say, a methadone clinic addicted to heroin, their heroin use might be once a day or maybe twice a day, including people who were holding jobs, people who still were in touch with their families. Not that life was going well, but there was some level of manageability. We now have people with fentanyl using 10, 20, 30 times a day. Their entire existence is — because fentanyl has a very short cycle of action.

So you wake up. You’re in withdrawal. Withdrawal is incredibly unpleasant. You may smoke fentanyl, smoke, smoke, smoke. Maybe it takes 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Your withdrawal finally stops. You smoke some more till you get high. You fall asleep. You wake up, and you’re in withdrawal. And you’re just really stuck like that.

And I see people like that. I mean, I’m very optimistic about the potential of recovery for addiction. Those are what I’ve seen. And those are also my values. I try to approach everybody that way.

And I also sometimes am frightened that it’s just much, much harder to help people in this state when their life is that consumed by drugs even relative to how consumed their lives were by drugs like heroin and OxyContin. It’s really pretty frightening. And we are getting it first. The United States and Canada too are being exposed to these drugs.

It’s interesting to note in Europe, they’re just starting to get these drugs. And whether they’ll keep with their same policy mix is a really interesting question. It isn’t entirely sure. I have a colleague who says fentanyl is like an antibiotic resistant infection. The stuff we always done that used to work doesn’t work anymore. And that’s terrifying.

How good now is our best gold standard addiction treatment?

So this varies a lot by drug. I’m going to start with the bad news first, which is the stimulants. So the biggest disappointment of my career is about cocaine and methamphetamine. I started my career in the late 1980s. And the care that people got for those drugs then is almost the same as what they get now. There’s been very little progress.

Billions have been spent. Brilliant people have tried to develop, for example, pharmacological treatments for them. Nothing has panned out yet. Most of the behavioral treatments don’t work. We have one thing that seems to work, which is contingency management, a particular way of structuring and giving rewards to help people make changes in their behavior. But we’ve had that for a very long time. So the news there is kind of disappointing.

For alcohol, funnily enough, one of the best things we have has been around forever, which is Alcoholics Anonymous. And for a long time, people in my field looked down on it as too folky and not medical enough. And yet there’s now tremendous evidence that myself and some colleagues assembled in what’s called a Cochrane Collaboration showing that does work, that people do, in fact, as well or better in Alcoholics Anonymous as they do coming to see people like myself.

There’s also some medications available. Acamprosate is one. Naltrexone is another. Some people benefit from those.

On the opioids, we have multiple approved FDA medications. Methadone has been around a very long time. It’s a substitute medication. It is effective for many people. Buprenorphine is another substitute medication, slightly different pharmacologically, but also effective for a great many people. And we have naltrexone, which is it works differently. It’s a blocking agent. And there are people who do very well on that.

So those things are all good. That’s considered the front line. You offer people medication first. And people also can benefit from other kinds of things — therapies and from residential care. And if somebody is out on the street with an addiction, it’s not believable that they are going to check in once a week for an hour with a therapist because their lives aren’t that organized. They usually need a safe substance free environment in which to stay. And those are often in short supply. So we sometimes don’t have success there not because we don’t know what to do, but because we haven’t allocated the resources to do it.

But how good are any of these? I mean, let’s zoom in on alcohol for a minute. I’ve known a lot of people — people I’ve loved — who have had very severe alcohol addictions. And you can’t be near that and not realize how differently different drugs act on different people. If I am drinking, just at some point, my body is like, that’s good. We’re done.

And there are people I know who they have burnt their life down around them. And they’ve been in and out of residential treatment. They’ve gone to A.A. Some people recover. Often they really don’t. How likely is it if you go into A.A. or some of these other things that you’ll recover?

People who seek for alcohol treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous can fall into three bins. If you look at them about 6 or 12 months later, somewhere between 40 percent, 50 percent are dramatically better off. Their lives are dramatically better. And that could be the completely abstinent, or they’re much more abstinent, but their lives are dramatically better.

Then there’s another group of people who seem to be somewhat better. That might be 20 percent, 25 percent. They’re still having significant problems. But maybe they make some things like, at least I’m not drinking and driving at the same time, or at least my spouse and I are making some progress in our marital communication. And then the remaining people unfortunately look exactly the same as the day they came into treatment. They either made no progress, or they made some slight progress and then relapsed.

The perception that we have of it tends to be driven by that last group. That’s because when people get better, they disappear into the woodwork. So when I worked in the White House, I used to think when I walked by somebody getting out of the metro who’s actively using drugs or alcohol, I’m very aware. That’s so visible to me.

And yet I know every day people walk by me in suits or in recovery, and I don’t notice them at all. Just looks like another Washington lawyer or civil servant or politician. So the cognitive effects of people who are doing the worst or the most vivid give us, I think, a more despairing view than we ought to have.

How much is the risk of developing an addiction genetic?

Genes affect us a lot. Studies across addictions show a genetic contribution. It varies by the substance, but at least 30 percent, sometimes even 50 percent. How much control people have just in general — some people are more impulsive than others, have a harder time thinking about the future than others from their first day on this Earth. And that will increase your risk for addiction.

If you’re very, very risk averse person who thinks a lot about the future, drug use looks differently to you than if you’re someone who wants to feel good today and is a happy go lucky person. Some of why we get addicted has to do with things that nobody can really control. And those can be things like liking. Even for the first time we use them, we like drugs differently.

When my boys were little, they were in the backyard, and they were climbing a tree. And I said, ah, that’s not how to climb a tree. I’ll show you how to climb a tree. So when I got to the emergency room, I said, this bone is broken. And I know it because I can see the way it’s knocked off my wrist.

And they nicely patched it for me. And they sent me home with Vicodin, the opioid Vicodin, bottle of 30, and said, it’s going to hurt. So you’re going to want to take these.

I take one. And I feel terrible. Stomach all feels bound up. I feel just really groggy. I don’t like this. For me, it was very easy to say pain is better than taking even one more of these pills. Meanwhile, I’ve treated people who say, the first time I had an opioid, it was like a hole that had been in my heart my whole life filled up for the first time.

Now, both those experiences are real. You cannot attribute them to, well, Keith must be a real solid and moral person, and that’s an immoral person, or Keith must have made good choices, and that person made bad choices, because we had no learning history at all. It was just the kismet of genetics that drugs feel differently to different people from the very first time, not just learning history.

And so I find it very easy to be sympathetic to someone who’s addicted to opioids because I think the reason I’m not going to do that is not because I’m a better person. It’s because they just don’t feel good to me. And to you, they felt fantastic. And so you were willing to keep on using them.

It’s not just that I find it easy to be sympathetic. But I find it hard to know how to think about it because, to be blunt, I’ve had very positive personal experiences with certain drugs. And at the same time, I’m somebody who is extremely nonaddictive in this area of my life. I have never wanted more puffs on a cigarette than I had. I’ve never smoked a cigarette and been like, I need another one. Obviously, other people I knew when I was in college, that was not how that went for them.

There is something here where, on the one hand, I worry that a fair amount of the discourse around drugs comes from people for whom maybe it actually is positive for them. There are people who have real positive relationships with different kinds of substances both legal and illegal. Adderall can be amazing for somebody with A.D.H.D., and it can be very destructive for somebody who ends up using it recreationally. I mean, you were talking about methamphetamines. And it’s not all that different.

And it becomes, I think, almost philosophically hard to know how to think about these substances that really can range. How to think about something where for some people it can be a very good part of their life, either pleasurable or even very profound. For other people, it can be a complete disaster that will actually ruin their life. And who are you making policy for and how feels like something that this conversation gets caught on a lot.

I agree, yeah, because drugs aren’t good, and drugs aren’t bad. They are good and bad. And sometimes I envy colleagues who work in areas like cholera prevention. If there’s a cholera outbreak, and you get rid of it, you’re a hero. Everybody loves you. Nobody says, but I was having a party. I need a little cholera. Can’t you keep a little cholera for special occasions? It’s like, no, everyone just hates cholera. Drugs are absolutely not like that. People have great experiences with drugs. I drink wine, by the way. That’s a drug. Or ethanol is a drug.

So we can’t resolve it that simply. And so we have to get into these questions of, well, when is it good? And when is it bad? And for whom is it good? And for whom is it bad?

And then there’s a question that is to me a philosophical question, in fact, religions grapple with, which is should I give something up for the benefit of others? Perhaps I can use fentanyl freely and enjoy it. But should I still say it shouldn’t be in recreational market because I’m aware enough of my fellow people would find it life ruining? And so the moral thing is for me to give it up so the sense that all of us can live together in a spirit of common humanity. And there’s always going to be tougher discussions, things that are good and bad versus things that are just clearly good, and we should just embrace them, and clearly bad and just reject them.

I wonder about this with the rollout of legal cannabis across a lot of the country. So this is something that I occasionally take. I’ll sometimes have a 5 milligram edible to help me sleep or to relax at the end of the night. It isn’t something I want all that often. And when I go into these stores, and I look in them, and I see the way they’re popping up in New York the way they popped up in California, it’s pretty clear this market is not catering to me.

And I think a lot about something that, as you mentioned, our mutual late friend Mark Kleiman, who was one of the great drug researchers and crime researchers, used to say to me, which is that alcohol companies do not make their money on people who drink a beer or two a week. They make their money on people who drink a case. And when I go into these stores, what I see are the rise of super high potency products that I wouldn’t touch. And clearly the money is being made given how many of the stores there are on people taking a lot more than I am a lot more often. When you look at what is going on with legal cannabis, how do you feel about it?

So start at the question of should we ever throw people in a cell for cannabis? Oh, so that was a terrible idea. So let’s take that off the table and just say if we’re going to have a legal industry, have we regulated it well? And I think it’s absolutely clear we have not.

And this is something we’re generally I’d say bad at relative to other countries of constraining profit when the profit damages public health. And so we have an industry with hardly any constraints on their products, not a very good record with even labeling their products accurately, very poor enforcement of even keeping the legal regime in place. And the pot shops in New York are a good example of that. A huge number of them are unlicensed and just doing whatever they want. And they’re being allowed to do that.

So I think we’ve done a really bad job with cannabis and in part driven by this phenomenon of not being willing to admit that cannabis isn’t good or bad, but it is both. And so when Mark Kleiman and I worked with Washington state, who was one of the first states to legalize, and we said, you still need to have some enforcement to make a licensing system work, I remember people literally either laughing or getting angry at us saying, the war on drugs is over. No more enforcement ever.

It’s like, actually, no. Why would you have a license and do the right thing and not hire minors? And why would you be sure to card? And why would you sell clean and safe products when you do that because you get a market advantage in a licensed market? And so if we just allow anybody to do anything, well, then there’s really no point in getting licensed, no point in paying your taxes, no point in being a good citizen, no point in not in hawking dangerous products.

And that’s the situation that we have. And we’re going to be really sorry for it. The distribution of consumption is also really important to think about. It’s not quite half, but it’s certainly a plurality of cannabis users today are using it every single day, usually a high strength product.

Wow, really? Almost half?

Yeah. I’d say about 40 percent are daily or near daily users. And so that’s where the money is if you’re running an industry. And so you want to produce cheap high-strength product that that population will use and use and use and use. And I just think we’re really going to regret that.

My friends over at “Search Engine,” which is a great podcast, just did this two part series on the New York cannabis market. And I had not really understood that while New York is now completely full of what appeared to me to be legal cannabis stores, virtually none of them are legal cannabis stores. There’s a very small number of legal ones and then a huge number of illegal ones.

And you might say, well, how are there all these illegal stores? And the answer is that nobody wants to send the police to bust people for cannabis. And so much of the theory of legalization as I understood it for years was that we will legalize and then be able to regulate the market. But if what we’ve done is legalized, but we’re not willing to use law enforcement, and so we cannot regulate the market, that’s actually a dramatically different policy equilibrium than I feel like I was promised.

Yeah, the experience you’re having — I think people have had across a lot of drug policy — is expecting one thing and then getting another and underestimating the ideological commitments of the people who designed it. So there are people who say, we’re going to have this legal market, and we’ll get rid of the illegal sellers and all that. But that isn’t what necessarily they wanted. They just thought, look, this should not be restricted at all. And you should just be able to deal with it and sell it and have a classic Libertarian understanding of it as opposed to a more progressive understanding of what we expect from industries. And this problem is replicated all over the country.

There’s also something that’s happened in policing, which is there’s always more to do for police than they have to do. So they’re not super interested in getting involved. Even with some of the massive problems we have, for example, here in California, we have huge illicit groves, some of them staffed by people who have literally been human trafficked. But it hasn’t really risen up as an enforcement priority because, cannabis, we don’t do that anymore.

You said this about cannabis, and I found it really striking. Quote, “The newly legal industry looks a lot like the tobacco industry — an under-regulated, under-taxed, politically connected, white dominated corporate entity that generates its profits mainly by addicting lower income people to a drug. 85 percent of Colorado’s cannabis, for example, is consumed by people who did not graduate from college.” Can you say a bit more about that socioeconomic breakdown?

Yeah. So I think that in middle upper class society, that figure’s really shocking. And the idea is, oh, cannabis user is, oh, someone like you, someone who has a good job, went to college, and maybe uses occasionally. No. I say if you want to think of the typical user, think of somebody who works in a gas station who gets high on all their breaks. That’s much more the sociodemographic breakdown of it.

And by the way, that’s what you see with tobacco as well. In my professional middle class life, it is so rare for me to see somebody smoking a cigarette. But if you go into a poor neighborhood, there’s still a lot of people who smoke cigarettes.

And so we’ve won the war on smoking I guess, middle class and well off. But it’s far less the case as you move into people who have much more challenging lives. And this comes back to the point that you raised and I think is really important one is that since that professional class makes the policies, it’s really important for them to remember that their lives are different than the people whose lives will be most profoundly affected by those policies.

One thing that a lot of drugs, cannabis being one of them, do is allow you to escape from a life that doesn’t feel good to you. If I had a job that bored the hell out of me, it might be more appealing to use something like cannabis more often. I really like my job. And I definitely cannot do it high, so I don’t. But there’s both a question of how does this affect you as a person but also how much might you want it, need it, need the escape?

I think this gets down to one of the most important questions to ask, which is, why don’t more people use drugs? People say, why does anybody use drugs? And it’s like, well, do you ask me why anybody has sex? That’s a really strange question. It feels good. We don’t need an explanation why people use them.

It’s actually far more interesting to think, why aren’t we all using them? Why aren’t you and I using drugs right now? And big reasons why are, well, we have other rewards in our lives. And we have a lot of other stuff that we want to do that is rewarding.

So in the absence of those things, the why not question, the answer seems to be, well, I can’t think of a reason why not. I might as well. Well, you won’t live as long. Well, I don’t expect to live that long. You won’t do well in your brilliant career. I don’t have a brilliant career. You won’t enjoy your fabulous house. I don’t have a fabulous house.

And that’s a reason I think it’s easy or it should be easy to have some sympathy. We all don’t have the same set of rewards to choose from. Rewards any neuroscientists would tell you are judged relative to each other. We don’t just make judgments over good, bad, but we do a lot of this is better than that. So as you pull rewards out of an environment, yeah, drugs become relatively more appealing.

It feels to me across this conversation that we’re talking about two eras that didn’t really work. I think a lot of people are worried about just a pendulum swinging between extremes. I’m curious if to you there is a synthesis out there either in a place or in a theory that feels like it balances these different realities, that people will use drugs? They are good for some people and terrible for others, that we don’t want to be throwing adults constantly into jail because they did something with their own bodies. We don’t want tons of people to get addicted because we decided not to throw anybody in jail. Is there something that feels to you like it strikes a balance here?

So years ago, when I worked for President Obama, we cited Washington’s example because they had taken a couple of hundred million dollars, spent it on mental health and substance use treatment, and showed within 12 months they’d actually made all their money back because of less crime, because of less disability, because of less trips to the emergency room. And importantly, they had gathered data to show that. And that was one of the things we used when the Affordable Care Act was being done to explain why covering substance use in that package would be a good deal for the taxpayer in addition to, of course, being a good deal to any person who had that problem.

There’s also certain issues where people with very different views and feelings about drugs can agree. So I’ve been working with a lot of people around the country on building Medicaid into the correctional system starting in California. It was pushed by a fabulous assembly member named Marie Waldron. We turn Medicaid on before people leave. And that gets them typically on some type of medication. And that can pull people together because it makes it far less likely for them to die of an overdose or to have other health problems. And it also makes them much less likely to commit crimes. And so you can get people like, well, I’m not very sympathetic. I don’t want to spend money on the health of some drug user. But if it makes them less likely to commit more crime, I like that. And other people say, well, this is a health matter. It’s like, well, then they like it too.

And that approach, which now multiple states have been approved for and the Biden administration C.M.S. has said, you can all have this Medicaid waiver — I don’t know the current number. I think it’s about 14 or 15 other states are applying. And as an example of something where you don’t necessarily have to resolve all the disagreements, but you can find a policy that maximizes multiple outcomes that a broad section of people care about.

Something I’ve seen you talk about and write about is this idea that the way that policing should work here is it should be very, very predictable, very certain you will get picked up, and very modest. It’s sort of almost like it operates as a constant annoyance. You end up in jail for 24 hours and are let loose. And there was some evidence that definitely did decrease repeat offending not among everybody but among enough people to really matter in the study. Do you still think that’s a good idea?

Absolutely. It’s a good principle for enforcement and for deterrence to have it be predictable, responsive, and fair. There’s been a lot of success with drink driving and alcohol through the program 24/7 Sobriety, which started in South Dakota and has now spread to about 15, 20 states and is also now in other countries.

It’s all across England, all across Wales where I was just last week actually working on that, which is a model whereby people are sentenced after their second, third, fourth, fifth alcohol related arrest to not be allowed to drink. They aren’t sent to jail. They aren’t fine. Their cars aren’t taken away. But their alcohol use is monitored literally every single day with swift and certain but modest consequences if they drink.

And that program has reduced incarceration. It has reduced crime. It has reduced domestic violence. And it strikes a good balance between using the criminal justice system to protect and put some constraints on people but not in a way that ends up being carceral.

And the place where we can really make a huge impact on that in the United States is the million people we’re already supervising on probation and parole who have substance use problems. And we need to roll those out more broadly. For example, Oregon’s new policy mix if implemented properly, which will be a challenge, I think it would be a very good one. They do put pressure on people to seek treatment. But they say literally, no one is going to be put into a prison in Oregon simply because they used a drug. And now they’re building up the other part you got to have, which is have to have the health system and the services that keep people alive while they use and then help them get into recovery. That, I think, is a very appealing mix of things.

We have a really hard time, I think, in the U.S. and lots of policy issues of realizing that it’s not a series of on/off switches. It’s a series of dials. And you can adjust things and find sensible, nuanced approaches that are more effective than what fits on a bumper sticker.

And I feel like that’s what my job is. And people like me who do not have to take the great risk to stand up and people and say, please vote for me. And then that means I have to explain something simply. It can’t be any other way but are next to it and are very fortunate to have the time to sift through evidence in a calm environment before they venture out with some suggestions about what we might do better.

I think that’s a good place to end. So then as a final question, what are three books you would recommend to the audience?

So there’s so many good books written about in this area. It’s hard to pick. So I decided to prioritize personal relationship starting with your late friend of mine Mark Kleiman, who wrote a book called “Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know,” coauthored with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken.

And it is exactly what the title promises. It’s accessible. It’s something you can dip into and out of and answer any question you want. And I also point to it as just a model of how academics in any area can write in such a fashion that a broad audience can engage their work and learn from it.

The second book I would suggest, again, from a friend who’s someone I’ve known since she was a psychiatric resident and I was an assistant professor. And that’s Dr. Anna Lembke here at Stanford. And the book is called “Dopamine Nation,” which was a deserved bestseller around the world.

But that gives you much more of the human experience describing, what is it like to be addicted, to not be able to stop doing something even though you know it’s destructive? How does it feel? How do you try to overcome it? And what is going on in that person neurologically that makes it so hard? And then the book also talks about just the seeking of reward in a reward saturated society and how we all are chasing all these things, whether it’s on our cell phones or with drugs and so on.

And then the last one — maybe a more eccentric choice, but it’s such a good book — is by Thomas De Quincey. And it’s called “Confessions of an English Opium Eater.” So De Quincey was a hangers on of the romantic poet set about 200 years ago in England. And he wrote at the time a very scandalous account. But, of course, also scandalous things in Britain are often very popular things.

So it became a bestseller about his experience of long time opium use. And he talks about the pains of opium and the pleasures of opium and a bit about how it affects social relationships, how it affects human psychology. And what I like about is, first off, it has a wonderfully florid over the top poetic style. And the other thing is almost everything you and I have talked about today is touched on in that book. And that shows that while we do learn things and we go forward with science, with policy, it is also true that the human relationship with drugs has had the same benefits and challenges in it for time immemorial. And so that’s a reminder of that when you read a book written that long ago and can resonate with so much of what’s going on today.

Keith Humphreys, thank you very much.

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon.

The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.

EZRA KLEIN: From New York Times Opinion, this is “The Ezra Klein Show.”

^ARCHIVED RECORDING 1^: Overnight, Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize most street drugs.

^ARCHIVED RECORDING 2^: Even drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, and oxycodone.

^ARCHIVED RECORDING 3^: It’s a sea change. Measure 110, which was passed by 58 percent of Oregon voters, treats active drug users as potential patients rather than criminals.

EZRA KLEIN: I’ve been involved in drug policy reform for a long time. I got into it in high school. And this was not a politics that seemed possible back then. In that era, the idea that you would have a state decriminalize heroin possession, I mean, it was unthinkable. But in the coming decades, there would be a real turn on the war on drugs — the overpolicing, the mass incarceration, the racism, the broken families. It was not achieving, as far as anybody could tell, anybody’s policy goals.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Thanks, Ezra. Good to talk to you.

EZRA KLEIN: There’s a tendency to just use this term “drugs.” And that tendency just belies a huge amount of variation, I think, in how people think about different drugs, how they think about opioids, how they think about stimulants, how they think about psychedelics, how they think about cannabis, alcohol, caffeine. Is this a useful term?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So “drug” is an incredibly vague term that covers an enormous number of drugs that have very different properties. The biggest one, I think, is the capacity to instill addiction. People don’t get addicted to LSD, for example. But they do get addicted to heroin. That’s really important.

They do get addicted to nicotine. That’s really important. So you would think about those drugs differently, the ones that have the ability to generate an illness with obsessive compulsion to use in the face of destructive consequences over and over and over again. Those belong in their own class, I think.

EZRA KLEIN: So this major drug policy reform went into effect in Oregon in 2021, Measure 110. It passes. What happens next?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Part of what happens is exactly what the reformers hoped would happen, which is that there’s a dramatic drop in arrests — arrests for drug possession and arrests for drug dealing. So they say, wow, that’s a victory. On the other hand, some of the other aspects of it didn’t work out the way people planned.

Well, it turned out that over 95 percent of the people got those tickets simply threw them away, which, keeping with the spirit of the law, there was no consequence for doing that. Hardly anybody called. The new body they set up to distribute the new funds had very serious management problems because the people — they may have been terrific human beings, but they weren’t actually experienced in how do you run a government bureaucracy.

EZRA KLEIN: So not everybody agrees that Measure 110 was a failure, certainly not as a policy. I mean, it definitely failed politically. The Drug Policy Alliance says that it failed because of disinformation because there was a concerted effort to undermine it. And they cite data from the Oregon Health Authority saying that, look, health needs screenings increased by almost 300 percent. Substance use disorder treatment increased by 143 percent. Is there some argument to this that we’re looking at the wrong measures and, judged according to its goals, 110 was actually kind of working?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: If what you care about the most was a drop in drug arrests and involvement of people who use drugs and deal drugs in the criminal justice system, then it was a success clearly because there was very little contact anymore between law enforcement and people who sell and deal drugs. But on the health side, no, I don’t think that. And those statistics on treatment I believe count a lot of one time consultations. I think what most people, particularly people who love someone who has an addiction, are looking for is evidence on people getting better, people getting into recovery, not just at some point having some transitory contact with the system.

EZRA KLEIN: There’s another argument that’s made in the Drug Policy Alliance document and other things I’ve seen and that has occurred to me, too, because when I think about Oregon, when I think about San Francisco, when I think about Washington State, I mean, you’re talking about places with very broken housing markets. We’ll talk I’m sure more about the Tenderloin.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: There’s an intense argument out here in the Bay Area between people who say, look, the homeless crisis is just a side effect of addiction. And people say, look, the addiction crisis is just a side effect of homelessness. And I would say they’re both wrong in that, even within my personal group of acquaintances, I know people who lost their home because of an addiction. And it’s not that the housing market discharged them, they had an empty property. But they were out on the streets. And then there are people who lost their housing and then were living next to drug markets on the streets and developed an addiction there.

EZRA KLEIN: So to go back to Oregon and one of the theories that was operating there was that we’re going to move more money into treatment. We’re going to make it easier and safer in the sense that you will not be arrested for seeking treatment. We’re going to make it easier and safer for you to seek treatment. We’re going to make it cheap to seek treatment. Why didn’t more people seek treatment?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: That theory reflects a misunderstanding about the nature of addiction, which is that it is like, say, chronic pain or depression, conditions that feel lousy for the person who has them all day long, and they will do anything to get rid of them. Drug addiction is not like that. It has many painful experiences. It destroys people’s lives.

EZRA KLEIN: Let me ask about this from the other direction, which is maybe this all just wasn’t nearly liberal enough because one of the arguments made — and I do think there’s evidence behind it — is people are getting stuff they don’t know. And the reason people die from fentanyl laced heroin or simply fentanyl that they thought was heroin is because they don’t have a source they can trust. Part of the difficulty here is, yes, people end up addicted. We don’t have really good treatments for addiction that we can come back to whether you think that is a true claim.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah, well, certainly using fentanyl in an illicit market is extraordinarily dangerous. And my colleagues and I are trying to figure out the death rate per year of a regular user. It might be as high as 5 percent. So that is an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do.

EZRA KLEIN: So Measure 110 passes in 2020. It goes into effect in 2021. What happens to it in 2023?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: At that point, overdoses were way up. And popular sentiment has shifted pretty dramatically. I think quite a few people felt burned. They hadn’t gotten what they’d been promised. And that included people who, for example, had relatives who were addicted who they assume would be getting into treatment and recovery and then weren’t able to get services.

EZRA KLEIN: If you’ve been around drug policy conversations for a long time, you’ll have heard a lot, I have heard a lot, about Portugal. And Portugal is a place where they decriminalized drugs. And it has been a much more sustainable, solid policy. So what is different about Portugal?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Portugal is different in policy and different in culture. So they definitely don’t throw people in prison, and it’s decriminalized. But they do have what are called dissuasion commissions that do assessments of people, say, who arrested in the street for using drugs. And you have to show up to this assessment. And they can push and nudge people to seek care.

You never hear this in San Francisco or Portland. Everybody is from somewhere else. And many people actually moved to the West to get away from everybody else, to get away from social constraints. I want to be my own person. Well, Portugal is the opposite of that.

EZRA KLEIN: This is something that I always think people underestimate at least about San Francisco, which is one of these cities under the best, which is that it is a culture of enormous tolerance. And that is a lot of what makes San Francisco remarkable, what has made it a home for L.G.B.T.Q. people when that was a very rare thing to be, what has made it open to all these weird ideas from computer scientists and strange nerds who came around with their thoughts about AI and their thoughts about visual operating systems.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: That is a very nice description of the city we both love. And we’d be much poorer without San Francisco’s embrace of individual freedom and all the great things that it gives, which you just articulated. To me, the resolution here is taking addiction seriously as a problem.

So when I talked to somebody who said, look, you need to just let people do what they want, I say, look. I volunteer in the Tenderloin. And I carry naloxone, the overdose rescue medication, with me. If someone were in front of me in overdose and dying, should I administer naloxone even though the person can’t consent, they’re unconscious?

EZRA KLEIN: Is that a straw man, though? I can’t really think of people at least that I have heard arguing that somebody under the throes of heroin addiction is free and is choosing the life they live, that they’re likely to be happy with the world they now exist in.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: One of the really striking things about this new rhetoric about drug policy out here is how rarely addiction is even mentioned. The fact that there’s so much focus on drug overdose, which is, of course, terrible, but that is treated as the only index and not addiction reflects a viewpoint that that’s not either an important thing or not that real a thing. Because if it were, you would note that in the heyday of wild opioid prescribing, there were fewer overdoses, but there were far more people who were addicted to those substances. And that made their lives dramatically worse.

EZRA KLEIN: So this is complicated, I think, because there’s this interaction in this period between what you might call elite and mass drug culture. In this period, you have the rise of a lot of super popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss, who are very open about their psychedelic use. You have Michael Pollan’s great book on psychedelics, “How to Change Your Mind.” I do a bunch of podcasts about psychedelics. You have a book by Carl Hart, who’s a well-known drug researcher at Columbia, called “Drug Use for Grownups” where he talks openly about using heroin to relax at the end of the day. Ketamine use rises in a very public way.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah. I’ve seen that very much, too. And people with a platform, they’ve got a hearing. One of the most important things to understand about Measure 110, for example, is it passed easily. It was not that controversial as people thought it would be. And that elite change, I think, was part of the dynamic.

EZRA KLEIN: That all makes sense to me. But something else I would say was here was that I would have described the consensus for a very long time as drug use is bad, and policing is good. And to some degree, by the time of 110 and some other reforms we were seeing in other states, I think that there was — and you can tell me if this tracks for you — a belief that drug use is somewhere between neutral and good depending on the drug, and policing is bad.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah. There’s no way to separate what happened in Oregon from the murder of George Floyd and from Black Lives Matter. I mean, the protests against police were as intense in Oregon as anywhere they were in the United States and indeed throughout the region and a lot of concern — and it’s got to be said — a lot of justifiable concern about racism and policing. And a huge portion of that was focused on drug enforcement. And that flip was clearly part of why the bill passed.

In terms of drug use, I think there’s a split. I mean, so there are people who accept it’s a health matter. So let’s move to that part of the population, some of whom will say, it’s not a good idea, but we should add health services, and I certainly wouldn’t punish anybody for it, to people would say, no, it is good. In fact, it is actively good. Drug use is good. Drug use should be accepted and maybe even promoted or celebrated. And the debate has been, I think, between those two strands, whereas in the ’80s, it was more between “drugs are bad — period” and “they should be legal even if they’re good or bad.”

EZRA KLEIN: You’ve written about billboards that I used to see and always thought were somewhat strange around fentanyl use and showing happy people — and these were in San Francisco — showing happy people and suggesting if you’re going to use this stuff, use it with friends. Use it around others. Make sure you’re not doing it alone.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So several things there you’re saying, I think they’re important. One is, absolutely. In the face of all this death and all this suffering, we’re all desperate for solutions. And I think it is good that we are thinking in very fundamental ways about what the solutions are. That should be the case when you have this much suffering.

EZRA KLEIN: I lived in San Francisco during this period. It also had a highly liberalizing attitude on drugs. It had significant open air drug markets, particularly in the Tenderloin.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yes, they are. And I volunteer in the Tenderloin. So I’ve spent a lot of time in those neighborhoods and definitely pick up that sense. And, say, for a number of people would express it in an even harsher way, which is the government is tolerating it where I live in a way they would never tolerate it in a wealthier neighborhood. That could be coupled also with a sense of some of those people in the wealthier neighborhoods say this should be tolerated, but they’re not having to tolerate it. I am. And that generates understandable anger.

EZRA KLEIN: I was reading recently a lawsuit filed by residents of the Tenderloin against San Francisco. And it was saying in a way that is illegal and unconstitutional, it was alleging that San Francisco — and everybody knows this to be true — was not enforcing laws in the Tenderloin the way it was in other parts of the city, that it had settled on a containment strategy in the Tenderloin.

And the Tenderloin is really rough for people who have not walked around there. I mean, the disorder, the despair, the difficulty’s incredibly visible. And one of the things that was noted in the lawsuit was that the Tenderloin has a much higher ratio of children than most parts of San Francisco. It has a lot of immigrant families, a lot of poor families. And so this is being tolerated where really a lot of kids were.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Why are there hundreds of dealers standing on street corners in the Tenderloin and in the south of Market? They are not there to service the neighborhood. Because if you live in a neighborhood and your dealer lives in the neighborhood, your dealer doesn’t have to stand on a corner. You know each other. You can text. You can just stop by and make your transactions.

EZRA KLEIN: One question I’ve had about all this is how much of it is a set of policies that might’ve worked or certainly worked better than they did, but fentanyl rolled a grenade underneath this? I mean, a lot of this thinking was happening years before fentanyl just completely invaded America.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: The emergence and dominance of powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl among the opioids or super strong methamphetamine that is now a larger share of the market than cocaine has, I think, undermined basic assumptions about drug policy across the world. When a kind of person who might come into, say, a methadone clinic addicted to heroin, their heroin use might be once a day or maybe twice a day, including people who were holding jobs, people who still were in touch with their families. Not that life was going well, but there was some level of manageability. We now have people with fentanyl using 10, 20, 30 times a day. Their entire existence is — because fentanyl has a very short cycle of action.

EZRA KLEIN: How good now is our best gold standard addiction treatment?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So this varies a lot by drug. I’m going to start with the bad news first, which is the stimulants. So the biggest disappointment of my career is about cocaine and methamphetamine. I started my career in the late 1980s. And the care that people got for those drugs then is almost the same as what they get now. There’s been very little progress.

EZRA KLEIN: But how good are any of these? I mean, let’s zoom in on alcohol for a minute. I’ve known a lot of people — people I’ve loved — who have had very severe alcohol addictions. And you can’t be near that and not realize how differently different drugs act on different people. If I am drinking, just at some point, my body is like, that’s good. We’re done.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: People who seek for alcohol treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous can fall into three bins. If you look at them about 6 or 12 months later, somewhere between 40 percent, 50 percent are dramatically better off. Their lives are dramatically better. And that could be the completely abstinent, or they’re much more abstinent, but their lives are dramatically better.

EZRA KLEIN: How much is the risk of developing an addiction genetic?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Genes affect us a lot. Studies across addictions show a genetic contribution. It varies by the substance, but at least 30 percent, sometimes even 50 percent. How much control people have just in general — some people are more impulsive than others, have a harder time thinking about the future than others from their first day on this Earth. And that will increase your risk for addiction.

EZRA KLEIN: It’s not just that I find it easy to be sympathetic. But I find it hard to know how to think about it because, to be blunt, I’ve had very positive personal experiences with certain drugs. And at the same time, I’m somebody who is extremely nonaddictive in this area of my life. I have never wanted more puffs on a cigarette than I had. I’ve never smoked a cigarette and been like, I need another one. Obviously, other people I knew when I was in college, that was not how that went for them.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: I agree, yeah, because drugs aren’t good, and drugs aren’t bad. They are good and bad. And sometimes I envy colleagues who work in areas like cholera prevention. If there’s a cholera outbreak, and you get rid of it, you’re a hero. Everybody loves you.

Nobody says, but I was having a party. I need a little cholera. Can’t you keep a little cholera for special occasions? It’s like, no, everyone just hates cholera. Drugs are absolutely not like that. People have great experiences with drugs. I drink wine, by the way. That’s a drug. Or ethanol is a drug.

EZRA KLEIN: I wonder about this with the rollout of legal cannabis across a lot of the country. So this is something that I occasionally take. I’ll sometimes have a 5 milligram edible to help me sleep or to relax at the end of the night. It isn’t something I want all that often. And when I go into these stores, and I look in them, and I see the way they’re popping up in New York the way they popped up in California, it’s pretty clear this market is not catering to me.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So start at the question of should we ever throw people in a cell for cannabis? Oh, so that was a terrible idea. So let’s take that off the table and just say if we’re going to have a legal industry, have we regulated it well? And I think it’s absolutely clear we have not.

EZRA KLEIN: Wow, really? Almost half?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah. I’d say about 40 percent are daily or near daily users. And so that’s where the money is if you’re running an industry. And so you want to produce cheap high-strength product that that population will use and use and use and use. And I just think we’re really going to regret that.

EZRA KLEIN: My friends over at “Search Engine,” which is a great podcast, just did this two part series on the New York cannabis market. And I had not really understood that while New York is now completely full of what appeared to me to be legal cannabis stores, virtually none of them are legal cannabis stores. There’s a very small number of legal ones and then a huge number of illegal ones.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah, the experience you’re having — I think people have had across a lot of drug policy — is expecting one thing and then getting another and underestimating the ideological commitments of the people who designed it. So there are people who say, we’re going to have this legal market, and we’ll get rid of the illegal sellers and all that. But that isn’t what necessarily they wanted. They just thought, look, this should not be restricted at all. And you should just be able to deal with it and sell it and have a classic Libertarian understanding of it as opposed to a more progressive understanding of what we expect from industries. And this problem is replicated all over the country.

EZRA KLEIN: You said this about cannabis, and I found it really striking. Quote, “The newly legal industry looks a lot like the tobacco industry — an under-regulated, under-taxed, politically connected, white dominated corporate entity that generates its profits mainly by addicting lower income people to a drug. 85 percent of Colorado’s cannabis, for example, is consumed by people who did not graduate from college.” Can you say a bit more about that socioeconomic breakdown?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Yeah. So I think that in middle upper class society, that figure’s really shocking. And the idea is, oh, cannabis user is, oh, someone like you, someone who has a good job, went to college, and maybe uses occasionally. No. I say if you want to think of the typical user, think of somebody who works in a gas station who gets high on all their breaks. That’s much more the sociodemographic breakdown of it.

EZRA KLEIN: One thing that a lot of drugs, cannabis being one of them, do is allow you to escape from a life that doesn’t feel good to you. If I had a job that bored the hell out of me, it might be more appealing to use something like cannabis more often. I really like my job. And I definitely cannot do it high, so I don’t. But there’s both a question of how does this affect you as a person but also how much might you want it, need it, need the escape?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: I think this gets down to one of the most important questions to ask, which is, why don’t more people use drugs? People say, why does anybody use drugs? And it’s like, well, do you ask me why anybody has sex? That’s a really strange question. It feels good. We don’t need an explanation why people use them.

EZRA KLEIN: It feels to me across this conversation that we’re talking about two eras that didn’t really work. I think a lot of people are worried about just a pendulum swinging between extremes. I’m curious if to you there is a synthesis out there either in a place or in a theory that feels like it balances these different realities, that people will use drugs? They are good for some people and terrible for others, that we don’t want to be throwing adults constantly into jail because they did something with their own bodies. We don’t want tons of people to get addicted because we decided not to throw anybody in jail. Is there something that feels to you like it strikes a balance here?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So years ago, when I worked for President Obama, we cited Washington’s example because they had taken a couple of hundred million dollars, spent it on mental health and substance use treatment, and showed within 12 months they’d actually made all their money back because of less crime, because of less disability, because of less trips to the emergency room. And importantly, they had gathered data to show that. And that was one of the things we used when the Affordable Care Act was being done to explain why covering substance use in that package would be a good deal for the taxpayer in addition to, of course, being a good deal to any person who had that problem.

And so you can get people like, well, I’m not very sympathetic. I don’t want to spend money on the health of some drug user. But if it makes them less likely to commit more crime, I like that. And other people say, well, this is a health matter. It’s like, well, then they like it too.

EZRA KLEIN: Something I’ve seen you talk about and write about is this idea that the way that policing should work here is it should be very, very predictable, very certain you will get picked up, and very modest. It’s sort of almost like it operates as a constant annoyance. You end up in jail for 24 hours and are let loose. And there was some evidence that definitely did decrease repeat offending not among everybody but among enough people to really matter in the study. Do you still think that’s a good idea?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Absolutely. It’s a good principle for enforcement and for deterrence to have it be predictable, responsive, and fair. There’s been a lot of success with drink driving and alcohol through the program 24/7 Sobriety, which started in South Dakota and has now spread to about 15, 20 states and is also now in other countries.

They do put pressure on people to seek treatment. But they say literally, no one is going to be put into a prison in Oregon simply because they used a drug. And now they’re building up the other part you got to have, which is have to have the health system and the services that keep people alive while they use and then help them get into recovery. That, I think, is a very appealing mix of things.

EZRA KLEIN: I think that’s a good place to end. So then as a final question, what are three books you would recommend to the audience?

KEITH HUMPHREYS: So there’s so many good books written about in this area. It’s hard to pick. So I decided to prioritize personal relationship starting with your late friend of mine Mark Kleiman, who wrote a book called “Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know,” coauthored with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken.

EZRA KLEIN: Keith Humphreys, thank you very much.

KEITH HUMPHREYS: Thank you.

EZRA KLEIN: This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.

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Essay on Drug Addiction
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Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Keith Humphreys
KEITH HUMPHREYS: So "drug" is an incredibly vague term that covers an enormous number of drugs that have very different properties. The biggest one, I think, is the capacity to instill addiction.