Commentary
One of the most destructive misconceptions of our time was that addiction is a condition that can be maintained with proper management. We were told that fatal overdoses were caused by impure drug supplies rather than the drug itself. It was asserted that homelessness caused addiction rather than the other way around.
These counterintuitive fallacies were embraced by government authorities, and policies were created based upon them. The results of these policies were catastrophic, and we saw them most acutely in B.C.
Addiction is a disease, and it’s a progressive one. As addicts consume, their tolerance for their drug of choice rises, as does their compulsion to remain high. They are aware that their addiction is destroying their minds and bodies, yet they can’t bring themselves to stop indulging. As they spiral downward, they begin to live for their addiction. They lose their jobs, their homes, their self-control, and often their lives if they don’t find treatment….