[theskypirate]

The author here is exactly right for the majority of cases. Everyone trying to spin it any other way is delusional. Society is difficult and humans vary greatly – not everyone is able to succeed. Many aspects of society are also competitive – some people will be winners and others will be losers. Losers turn to heroin because 5 years of shooting up and then dying seems like a better option than 60 years of living with the shame of mediocrity and the struggles of daily life.

It's not a function of an inadequate welfare state or de-industrialization or inadequate mental health treatment or any other social malaise. It's just life in a world of abundant resources where 99% of people are living at the top of maslow's hierarchy of needs. The only way to avoid this is to put people into an environment where the struggle for survival eclipses the desire to be happy.

I'm sure there are 20% of addicts who fall into this accidentally or would be able to live a happy post-heroin life, but for many people it basically makes sense and there's nothing to be done.