But see the difference - you have stopped abusing drugs, and are no longer a wasted life. The people I am talking about never seem to change until I turn up one day and find them dead. (And I did warn you folks that it was a bit of a rant). I'd also vaguely like to point out (without it turning into a "walk three miles uphill in the rain" sort of Monty Python sketch), and with the greatest respect, that despite reading this blog, you don't know how shite my life had been. The difference between myself and those who turn to drugs is perhaps that I resolved to change my situation, rather than make it worse by becoming an addict. Having said that I can take your point that it may be the things that turn people into addicts that remove their humanity rather than the drugs itself. And I don't think that methadone is any form of help (personal opinion only based on experiences with patients on it - I think that the cure is much more complicated than that). Thanks for the comment, it's appreciated.