Everyone knows an addict. You probably have one in your family or in your circle of friends.

Drug addiction, especially when it comes to opiates like prescription painkillers, has become an epidemic.

The government has promised to combat the problem with the “War on Drugs” (don’t get me started), stricter sentencing, and a number of other futile tactics.

Sadly, nothing they’ve come up seems to work. In fact, the problem is getting worse year after year. Despite that fact, those in power continue to tighten the screws.

That’s called insanity. Which is fine. If they want to be insane, let ’em. However, they are being insane with our tax dollars and our loved ones. And that isn’t okay…

Prosecutors to Charge Drug Dealers with Murder

In some states, prosecutors want to charge drug dealers with murder in cases where overdose occurs.

Recently, The Young Turks did a short report on this, which is where I first heard this news,

It seems reasonable on the surface. No doubt, drug dealers are some of the most . . . unsavory people in our society. But do they deserve to go to prison for murder?

Should “Drug Dealers” Face Murder Charges?

Now before you answer that, you have to first understand what a “drug dealer” is.

Easy, right? A drug dealer is the shady guy on the corner in the middle of the night. The guy with a hoodie pulled over his head and pockets full of cash.

Okay, sure. That is your stereotypical drug dealer. Problem is, an actual drug dealer is much different.

For the most part, I think many of us would agree that a drug dealer is anyone who sells drugs. But there’s another side to this argument you might be forgetting…

Many Addicts Sell Drugs to Support the Habit

Rather than stealing, most addicts will sell drugs to support their habit. The risk of going to jail is much lower that way. Addicts know other addicts, so selling small amounts is usually not a problem.

An addict’s world isn’t the seedy alleyway you see in movies. In fact, it’s very similar to your own. Just like you have friends with similar interests, so does an addict. However, instead of splitting a six-pack, addicts split grams and pills. And they don’t do it for fun. They do it to function, to keep from being sick.

Every day, sometimes multiple times a day, ordinary addicts become “middle-men” in order to attain the drugs they need to support their habit. This is commonplace in the world of addiction. And middle-men are nothing like the drug kingpins they’re made out to be.

But in the eyes of the law, it’s all the same

So ask yourself…

Would you want your loved charged with murder?

For doing nothing more than trying to support a terrible habit?

These are people who need rehabilitation and compassion, not a life sentence.

This brings up a good point, one I often mention in my books: Arresting addicts and locking them away does nothing to address the real problem.

And in fact, it only makes it worse. Much worse in most cases.

So what’s the answer?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, compassion is the beginning of all cures.

And whether judges, prosecutors or jurors realize it, there is a vast difference between an addict trying to support a habit, and a dealer fattening his wallet.

We can’t make others see what we see in our loved ones. Others might see murderers, junkies and thieves. But you know differently. So if you have a loved one who is also an addict, keep them close. Let them know you love them and that you see the good in them. Do it today.