Is Addiction a Crime

According to drugwarfacts.org, 3,422 people were arrested each day in the United States in 2015 because of drug possession. This does not include those who were arrested for drug distribution. The total number of people arrested for simple drug possession in 2015 was 1,249,025.

This presents an interesting question—what is being done to solve the issues of a million plus people with drug addiction problems who are arrested each year.

The approach that works best to solving someone’s addiction is pretty heavily debated in the rehabilitation community ranging from drug replacement and psychiatric medications to total abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Though most do agree the result should be the same; a person free from the chains of their addiction and being able to contribute to society and advance in life. This looks different for each individual. For some, it may just be a steady job and a few good acquaintances while for others, it may be much more specific. The thing every addict want’s whether they can see it or not, is a life they enjoy.

With drug addiction so prevalent today, almost everyone has some connection to someone struggling with drug addiction. Whether it is an immediate family member or a friend of a friend whose son got addicted to heroin, it seems no one is far removed from this national crisis. Luckily you see many judges and probation officer are court ordering treatment programs in replacement of jail sentences.

This approach gives those addicted, a chance to turn their life around and receive the treatment they need. In fact, many treatment centers will work with court systems to make it possible for addicts to get high-quality treatment rather than simply serving a jail sentence and leaving only to be back to where they started or worse.

Call us today, to help your loved one get treatment rather than a jail sentence.