“So I think that addiction is most often a function of circumstances,” said the doctor. “If the conditions are right and drugs are available, drug use rises. People use drugs for good reasons. Drugs are an easy way to escape, feel empowered, cope with life, and survive. Some hardworking Iraqis use drugs to stay awake and work longer hours.” The doctor was alluding to the same theory of addiction Zentall did. We’ve long viewed substance use as a bizarre anomaly—a function of either broken morals or broken brain chemistry. But there is a growing recognition that drug use in our past was nearly
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