Speaking As a drug addict myself, I can state to a certainty that the only one who can help a drug addict is the drug addict.
Why would I say that I am a drug addict, when I haven't used drugs in 25 years? Because I know what I am. I will be a drug addict until the day I die. I just choose not to take drugs. Until I realized this fact, any amount of "help" would have been wasted on me. It was up to me to quit using drugs, not others, and certainly not the government. I feel no pity for those who are still strung out. They made a choice, and are now facing the consequences for that choice. If they so choose, they can also make another choice, and that is to quit using drugs. I am not Superman, so I know for a fact that, if I can choose not to take drugs, so can anyone else.
Same goes with alcoholics. Ever hear of this expression?
It is exactly the same with drug addicts. The first step in choosing not to take drugs is for the addict to rid himself or herself of self pity, and then, like the Nike commercial says, just do it. It isn't easy, but once the choice is made, it can be done. In my life, I have been addicted to heroin and cocaine. During that time, I have taken just about every drug there is to take. I also survived, and I did it out of choice, not for any other reason.
For those who say "Damn, Danarhea, you are a cold man in telling people they have to do something so hard". My response to that is "Who said that life is supposed to be easy"? You get out of life the effort you put into it. Effort is rewarding. No effort means that you are screwed, and there is nobody to blame but yourself, so either take the consequences or take the rewards. It is all up to you.
And with that said, I will now put on my flameproof suit and wait for the inevitable flames that will be coming my way.