The Problem with the War on Drugs

Everything we know about addiction is wrong. In the book “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs” by Johann Hari, he deconstructs what we believe to be true about addictions. It is based on his own reporting and scientific studies. The idea is the foundation of addiction whether it is heroin, marijuana, alcohol, pornography, or the internet is the all the same. That it is a social problem in nature, and the war on drugs is only making things worse.

The idea is to tackle the drug problem with social change and not as an individual issue. What we do currently is to punish the drug user with jail time or outcast them as a social pariah thus pushing them further and further away. That the drug problem is about feeling connected. That when a living soul doesn’t connect, they connect to cocaine, pornography, video games, or Facebook. The solution, according to Hari, is to reconnect with people in a positive environment. But admitting we have a problem is only the first step.

You can also listen Johann Hari also speak on TED Talks.