The sooner they’re gone, the less they cost society. And don’t forget, the biggest cost to society isn’t “saving” them, but the heartaches, headaches, and collateral damage they do to all and sundry to support their habits.
As for me, in my 71 years, I’ve had more sense than to get involved with, let alone had my life devastated by, substance abuse.
OTOH, I have first hand dealt with both abusers and their families, who most often act as enablers, while working in both county & private hospitals, treating both them, and their innocent victims. I’ve also had to deal with abusers around my periphery: been burgled, pilfered, vandalized, threatened, etc; also had dealer neighbors authorities couldn’t seem to do anything about. I was also instrumental in getting a nurse caught diverting patient drugs to feed her own habit, indiscriminately endangering her patients mainly due to her impairment on-shift, while unconcerned about their suffering.
Not an ounce of sympathy, any more than for new smokers: the data, the warnings, the education, and the enforcement has been in place (except for smokers “just 50-60 years”; I’m a long since former smoker) for many decades longer than I’ve been alive.
I have lived it personally in family members as well as treated addicts. While I don’t excuse the behavior or have sympathy for it I have a great deal of empathy for those family members who have been devastated by their loved ones addiction.
As far as enabling I don’t think most people know how hard it is and how long it takes to completely stop Telling a child to leave your home is the hardest thing I thought I would ever have to do. Wrong. Saying no to help when they call cold hungry and homeless is even harder. I was one of those who thought it would be easy to not enable and of course I would never have one of those kids so I understand those who judge so easily. Circumstances have a way of humbling you. I now have deep sympathy for what one addict can do to the lives of all those who love them.