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Originally Posted by oojay
"Illness" is a state of poor health. "Drug Addiction" is a dependence on drugs. One can be addicted to drugs but still be in a state of good health.
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Lol what? An addiction is termed an illness because it precisely is a state of poor health. People who are addicted to drugs suffer physiological symptoms as well as emotional and mental, as habitual drug use damages everything from your levels of serotonin and/or dopamine, your respiratory system, your kidneys, and your heart. This isn't a one time usage thing, an addiction includes all of these things and it is not possible to be in "good health" being addicted to drugs. Drug addicts use excessive amounts to achieve a high, overpowering the aforementioned pleasure centers. And as you previously, so graciously said, a lack of "willpower" is a cause, would that not also be a part of poor health? Ever hear of something called depression? I'd like to know in what world would someone consider the possibility that a drug addict could still be in a "state of good health". Marked signs of drug addicts usually include visible markers of POOR HEALTH.
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While the side effects of drug addiction may result in an illness, the two are not mutually exclusive.
Therefore, drug addiction is not an illness. Pretty simple. Unbiased. Not ignorant. Not opiniated.
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Yes, they are. And yes, it is.
See here
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Individuals who suffer from addiction often have one or more accompanying medical issues, including lung and cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and mental disorders. Imaging scans, chest X-rays, and blood tests show the damaging effects of drug abuse throughout the body. For example, tests show that tobacco smoke causes cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, blood, lungs, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix.19 In addition, some drugs of abuse, such as inhalants, are toxic to nerve cells and may damage or destroy them either in the brain or the peripheral nervous system.
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"Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" - Addiction and Health