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Clarita Carlos

Mrs. Ramirez

English 4.1

11/30/23

Why Drug Addicts Should Be Placed In Hospitals

Drug addicts need to be placed in hospitals for medical treatment in order to detox

completely. Drug addicts are more likely to overdose if they leave prison after entering because

the desire remains and becomes evidently harder to suppress. It's a neurological condition that

originates in the brain. Nearly 70% of respondents to a survey done in multiple states thought the

U.S. believed prison was not the appropriate setting for drug addicts. (Pewtrust.org) Drug addicts

alone cannot defeat their own addiction; they are prisoners of it and need resources to begin

losing that state of entrapment. Hospitals that offer support groups, appropriate detoxification

treatments, and a conducive environment are better places for them to heal. To make this happen,

though, society must cease seeing drug addicts as hopeless or as having a character flaw; doing

so only serves to make those who battle addiction feel singled out and devoid of any desire to get

well. If individuals perceive themselves as unworthy, they won't have confidence in their ability

to bounce back and quit using drugs.

Drug addicts have a medical condition that stems from the brain. It takes extensive

treatment to address the root cause.(nida.nih.gov) As a result, the addiction does not resolve

itself, making incarceration ineffective because punishment will not make the addiction go away.

Drugs alter an important area in the brain that is needed to socialize and be

healthy.(gateawayfoundation.org) People who exhibit erratic behavior while high do so because

they lack self-control over their bodies. Drugs start to affect their ability to make decisions. It’s
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important to recognize that addiction is a chronic brain disease, and the idea that punishing

individuals will take away the addiction, is wrong. (publichealth.jdu.org) Due to this, many

addicts avoid looking for help, and it goes untreated. If prisons recognize that imprisoning drug

addicts is ineffective, they should seek solutions rather than delaying treatment for them and

letting them waste time in prison.

Without treatment, there is a higher chance of overdosing. Many suffer from a worsening

negative mindset once in prison. (gatewayfoundation.org) The prison setting deters people from

wanting to change for the better, which increases the risk of overdoses and the likelihood that

inmates will have access to drugs. The Eighth Amendment protections against unusual

punishment for prisoners and the American and Disability Act also protect these individuals, so

it should be possible for prisoners to obtain medication. (public health.jhu.edu) Failure to provide

this is a clear violation that should be brought to light to raise awareness of the situation. In

addition to providing them with a stable support system, treatment completely detoxifies them

from drugs. (gatewayfoundation.org) If they get medical attention, the chance of overdosing will

decrease. Drug addicts do not have to be prisoners of the same cycle of addiction if a community

and appropriate treatment are provided.

People require a community to lean on in order to feel understood and to experience a sense

of relatedness. Being incarcerated perpetuates a pessimistic outlook because inmates may already

feel like a prisoner in their minds. (aquilarecovery.com) A drug addict's mental state deteriorates

in prison due to the depressing surroundings, which take away motivation to get better. Drug

addicts in treatment have access to peer and counselor support systems that address the

underlying causes of their addiction while providing guidance. (aquilarecover.com) Having a

community to rely on eliminates the negative mindset. Targeting addiction and enabling people
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to regain complete control over their lives and bodies can only be accomplished through

treatment. (gatewayfoundation.org) More resources might be made available to drug addicts if it

were widely acknowledged that they are not completely to blame for developing an addiction.

The prevalent belief in society is that drug addicts are lazy, criminal individuals who have

chosen to become addicted. Addiction is not viewed as a medical condition but rather as a result

of character failure. (publichealth.jdu.edu) Society should give people a second chance and not

hold them to this standard of judgment. Additionally, the myth that going to jail will scare people

into quitting drugs needs to be disregarded because it is untrue. (aquilarecovery.com) People will

be less likely to seek help if they feel targeted and like failures. In order for dug addicts to

receive more help, people should not see addiction as a social deviance or as a character flaw.

(aquilarecovery.com) If social perception is changed, addicts might be able to receive help and

get better. Drug addicts are entitled to assistance and are not alone in their efforts to abstain from

drugs.

In conclusion, drug addicts should be sent to hospitals for treatment instead of prison for

punishment. Having a community to lean on makes gaining sobriety easier. Addiction is a battle

that cannot be won alone; a support group is needed. Addiction stems from a brain disorder, and

as a result, treatment is needed. Prison does not provide the necessary conditions for people to

get better; it only pauses the cycle for a brief period of time. If social perceptions changed on this

topic, more people would not feel shunned and might seek treatment because they know they are

not alone. Drug addicts need to go to hospitals to fully eliminate the negative mindset associated,

target the root cause, and get rid of the desire. Pushing people to be penalized for the crime of

being unable to control their own bodies is inhumane, and resources should be provided to these
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individuals, so they turn their lives onto the right track instead of letting them go down the wrong

path.

Works Cited

“Treating Addiction in Jails and Prisons.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,

publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/treating-addiction-in-jails-and-prisons. Accessed 08 Nov. 2023.

Aquila Recovery Clinic. “Why Drug Addicts Should Go To Rehab Not Jail.” Aquila Recovery

Clinic, 13 May 2021, www.aquilarecovery.com/blog/drug-addicts-go-rehab-instead-jail/.

Accessed 07 Nov. 2023.

Ren. “Treat Addiction, Don’t Penalize It.” Narconon International,

www.narconon.org/blog/treat-addiction-dont-penalize-it.html. Accessed 07 Nov. 2023.

“Addiction Should Be Treated, Not Penalized.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, 23 Feb. 2023,

nida.nih.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2021/05/addiction-should-be-treated-not-penalized.

Accessed 07 Nov. 2023.

Gateway Foundation. “Why Doesn’t Punishment Stop Addiction?” Gateway Foundation, 6 Sept.

2023, www.gatewayfoundation.org/addiction-blog/why-does-punishment-not-stop-addiction/.

Accessed 07 Nov. 202

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