We are experimenting with a band-aid solution. We got to this point because it was pointless locking drug users up in prison because it costs $100,000 a year to warehouse them in this way.

Part of the problem is the acceptance of other addictions. Alcohol, sex, and entertainment are OK by societal standards. Many normal citizens are engaging in these addictions responsibly (or maybe not). We need to stop living in a beer commercial.

A few years back I was in a doctor's office. There was a TIME magazine with a fantastic survey on morality and income. It was statitically clear that poverty leads to a more dysfunctional life that leads to more addictions.

A friend immigrated to Canada from Germany. His brother got into heroin. To get treatment, his brother and family had to sign away individual rights, meaning the brother was essentially a prisoner in the addiction center. It takes about six months for most addicts to clear up these kinds of things. If addicts have the freedom to walk out, many of them walk out untreated. The German government took the position that a suspension of rights was required was the ticket to get treatment.

My solution: Universal Basic Income. If addicts don't want treatment, a UBI will help keep them away from petty crime. And the German approach might not be so bad either.