I’m not alone. Scientists now know that the scarcity loop is a crucial reason substance use continues despite adverse consequences. Researchers at the University of Waterloo wrote that the unpredictable rewards of substance use “make the behavior even more resistant to…[adverse consequences] and extinction.” Consider illegal drug use. Much of the rush people get is from the loop that comes from acquiring and using drugs. Will we find drugs? Will we get arrested during the deal? How much of the drug will we find, and how strong will it be?
