[SamoyedFurFluff]

I think you’re speaking too broadly and applying it to all of Americans. America has the capacity for shocking levels of poverty and economic entrapment.

Additionally, just from a cursory google, it looks like addiction is also on an alarming rise in Bangladesh, especially in the youth. I don’t see evidence addiction is isolated to “the West”.

[rayiner]

No poverty I’ve seen in America is shocking to me. I remember sleeping in my dad’s village with hurricane lamps at night because at that point (late 1980s) they didn’t have electricity. By your logic, people would be killing themselves left and right because they were so poor and life was so hard. But poverty isn’t what causes drug addiction.

Addiction is rising in Bangladesh—but as it’s getting richer and more westernized. But even then, to put it into context, the drug overdose rate in the US is 20 times higher adjusted for population.