They do through cons and theft. An addict’s mind will rewire itself to do anything it takes for the drug. Steal from their own mother, sell their children, etc.
Right now the addict process goes like this:
-Addict steal $1000 worth of stuff from us EVERY DAY and sells it for $100.
-Addict hands $100 to a dealer for $10 worth of product.
-Addict gets caught and stays in jail at a cost to us of $60k a year.
-If the addict gets injured by bad drugs or violence, he ends up in a hospital and the incredible costs are paid by us.
-Once the addict is out of jail/hospital he continues the process over again until he dies. Usually draining society of millions of dollars while alive.
IMO, it would be far cheaper and safer to give addicts drugs, treatment and a place to sleep. Addiction seems to be genetic and 1-2% of the population has always fallen into some form of it.
The best thing to do is arrest the drug dealers and make it difficult for people to become addicts.
Allowing anybody who wants to be given free housing and free drugs and allowed to live as parasites on society for their entire life doesn’t seem like a good solution.