having used drugs at some point saw an initial increase after decriminalization , but then a decline : Drug use has declined overall among the 15- to 24-year-old population , those most at risk of initiating drug use , according to Transform . There has also been a decline in the percentage of the population who have ever used a drug and then continue to do so .”
Hollersen , in his article on Spiegel Online International , adds that , “ the number of drug addicts who have undergone rehab has also increased dramatically , while the number of drug addicts who have become infected with HIV has fallen significantly .”
CONCLUSION
It is important for us to approach this issue from a more sophisticated , nuanced emotional standpoint . When it comes to things like drug use , we have been conditioned to have very extreme reactions to it . However , it is important to recognize grey areas . We need to remember that we are dealing with human beings . People are not robotic mechanical creatures with on and off switches who can easily be categorizes and dumped into convenient boxes . It is the duty of the law , in a sophisticated , civilized world to be able to take these nuances into consideration . There can be no excuse for lazy-law making .
Although addiction can be difficult to understand , it is not as difficult as it has been made out to be . Yes , comprehending brain synapses and neurological ways in which addiction manifests itself is complicated . This can be difficult for the lay person to understand . The average person walking down the street probably has not been educated in the nuisances of addiction and drug use . However , all sane people have the capacity to empathize .
When we see someone in pain , our intuition immediately lets us know that this person needs to be taken care of ; they need help and support . Even without a sophisticated understanding of addiction as a disease , everyone can recognize a person in pain , a person living