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Addiction is not a choice.
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The article regarding Diane Schuler received a lot of comments. This is not surprising because the tragedy is hot 
with emotion. Who could not feel strong emotion with so many senseless deaths?
The very definition of addiction implies that the addict no longer feels he/she has a choice. People choose to drink, to smoke marijuana, to smoke cigarettes and to gamble. People do not choose to be addicted to alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or gambling.
Addiction is a very complex disease and that is one of the reasons it is not understood very well. It's also one of the reasons that it evokes such strong emotional reactions. In the first article, "Substance abuse: closer to home than you think", the idea was presented that many people do not want to admit to an addiction because of the strong social stigma attached to it. Comments received thus far seem very much to support that idea. Although not the only reason, this stigma is one of the reasons that people do not seek help.
The disease model of addiction (or alcoholism) does not mean that what an addict does under the influence of a drug is acceptable. Not by a long shot. Only a qualified professional can determine if Diane Schuler was an alcoholic. Whether or not she was, however, she still broke the law and paid for it with her life and the lives of innocent others.
For more info: NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction
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