Morality Play

It never ceases to amaze me, this either/or and black and white thinking that people never seem to quite break out of.  Especially when it comes to addressing addiction.  On the radio this morning someone expressed outrage that anyone would accept the premise that there could be a moral aspect to addiction.  She cried out loud and almost tearful about how awful it is to judge addicts, that this has to be addressed scientifically, and that addiction is a disease, etcetera, etcetera.  Anyone even suggesting that the addicted person has any moral responsibility about their predicament is misguided, confused, right-wing, cruel, judgmental and simply not a nice person.

Uh-huh.

First of all, let me make one or two matters perfectly clear:

1. I agree that addiction is an illness, and must be addressed and treated as an illness.
2. It is absolutely unconscionable to judge addicts for being addicted.
3. I am in favour of harm-reduction.

Here is where we disagree:

I have said this before and I'm saying it again.  No one has ever put a gun to anyone's head and forced them to smoke, inject or snort something that will eventually be their lord and master.  No, I am not a conservative.  I am left-wing, progressive, and I am also a Christian.  Oh, but I can!  As I said, no one has ever forced anyone else to take drugs.  There is always an element of choice involved whether we like this or not and therefore the addict has to accept responsibility for their condition and for their recovery if they are to indeed recover.

Our capacity to choose, and our capacity to accept, or reject, responsibility for our choices is one of many qualities that make us uniquely human.  When this capacity for choice and responsibility is omitted in our treatment programs we are in effect dehumanizing the client.  We are patronizing them, treating them like children, or worse, like cats or dogs.

This is not licence to shame or humiliate.  Once addiction kicks in it's game over and we shift very quickly from poor lifestyle choice to addiction.  I think there is a lot to be done about prevention.  We need to address especially young people about the need, the curiosity, peer pressure, pain, fear, lack of love and spiritual yearning that often lead to addiction.  I also think it is no coincidence that many people who become addicts have histories of childhood abuse.

I say, continue harm reduction strategies, decriminalization and legalization of drugs.  I also say, redouble treatment opportunities and options--AFFORDABLE options that won't require months long waiting lists for those who need the services  most.  Harder work needs also to be done about prevention.  Whatever your opinion, we can never have too much compassion.  Let's hear it for love in action.