Addiction

Addiction: the condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something. An awesome aspect of the human mind is its ability to take control. For instance, an addiction to cocaine, or heroine, or methamphetamines would result in your brain making you do whatever is necessary to get more. Similarly, in the movie "Requiem for a Dream," four characters are driven to almost certain death because of their substance addiction. Unfortunately, drug abuse is a huge problem in America. There are finances included in drug abuse and addiction. Some financial aspects of addiction range from personal, governmental, societal, and statistical.

The government attacks the war on drugs with two approaches. "Demand reduction," which is prevention and treatment, and "supply reduction," which is stopping the flow of drugs in society (Firshein). Janet Firshein of Public Broadcasting System continues on saying that the government spends more money on fighting the "supply reduction," instead of the "demand reduction." This means people who need serious help with drug abuse are less likely to receive funding for the process. So for instance, in the movie, the Mother does not receive any more than another prescription to get filled. This is a perfect example of the government not worrying too much about the people already affected, rather, more concerned about the people who can get affected. This is no joke either, William McColl, director of government relations for the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, explains, "Society has chosen to deal with illicit substance abuse through the prism of criminal justice. (Firshein)" Pretty much, the bottom line of that is if you are already addicted you're on your own for the most part. Many people and groups question this policy, feeling more sympathy than the government can afford. The government spends less than 30% of its total drug budget on treatment. (Firshein)

Now where is that other 70% of the funds available for the war on drugs? This money goes to the law enforcement agencies to hunt down drug dealers and huge drug chains that ironically continue to supply the United States quite efficiently. (Firshein) Apply this knowledge to the movie. The two young men who sold the drugs were at the bottom of the chain, if they get caught, not much of the chain is broken. But what the government is trying to do is catch the criminals who sit in the back of a semi and sell mammoth amounts of drugs to the public. Many want a more balanced policy because they see not much is getting accomplished. If the government decided to put more money into drug awareness and treatment, much of the public could be swayed to a more anti-drug attitude. Others believe that harsher punishments would be a proper fit for anyone who sees the consequences of getting caught a small risk compared to the money they can make and the high they can feel.

Another financial aspect of drug use is personal. Addicts do anything to get more money for more drugs. In "Requiem for a Dream," the girlfriend throws a huge drug-relapsing tantrum because they have no more money to "dip in". Now the search for a quick fix begins. Crime is created here in the fact that drug abusers will do anything that could help them get high. That might not be the worst part of it all. The addiction can become so strong that people lose total grip with reality and begin doing things that totally destroy any chance of a successful future. So when they run out of money, get booted from their jobs, and are out on the streets with an addiction, a new kind of person forms. It is called the Theory of Stealing and Dealing. The addiction takes such a strong hold on the person, that they begin committing crimes in order to purchase drugs. Now the dealer will see all of this, their addict/customer pays them with stolen items or money orders from pawn shops that do not give cash. The dealer then offers the addict free drugs if he can create more business for the dealer. This not only perpetuates the drug cycle, it enlarges it significantly.

Courtesy of PBS

An interesting excerpt from the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study says that the results (from a national, government funded survey) show substantial reductions in criminal behavior and arrests after treatment. Selling drugs declined by 78 percent; those who reported shoplifting declined by almost 82 percent; before treatment, almost half the respondents reported "beating someone up." Following treatment that number declined to 11 percent; a 78 percent decrease; changes in arrest rates were less striking than those in self-reported criminal behavior, but the 64 percent reduction in arrests for any crime was still dramatic; and the percentage that largely supported themselves through illegal activity dropped by nearly half - decreasing more than 48 percent (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services). So, why does the government feel the need for such an imbalance