[Der_Iron_Chef]

....taken from the "Help?" thread, which was quickly diverging off course.

To say that addiction is a choice is also an over-simplification of a complex problem. What drives people to substance abuse is complex. What drives people to certain substances, which are largely indicative of the environment(s) they have chosen, is also complex. It's very very easy to say that it's a choice, because that puts the onus solely on the addicted, and lets us sleep soundly at night, not having to really consider the bigger picture.

I have worked with dozens and dozens of youth, addicted to every substance imaginable, selling their bodies for a quick hit or a few bucks. It's so complex....as complex as each individual.

Oh, this is surely a hot topic. I just know that from my years of working hand-in-hand with this very demographic, there's no easy answer.