Holmes writes that “treating the addicted like lepers doesn’t solve anything. How many families attempt to help their addicted loved ones, and how many disown them? This is a facet of the crisis that...

Holmes writes that “treating the addicted like lepers doesn’t solve anything. How many families attempt to help their addicted loved ones, and how many disown them? This is a facet of the crisis that needs to be openly acknowledged. Without doing so, I fear America may never come to grips with this issue. We must see addicts as people, not rotten fruits to be shaken from the tree” (par. 10).

Why does Holmes think it is important to address our assumptions about drug users?

What assumptions do you have about drug users, and where do you think they come from? Have you ever been in a situation that made you rethink those assumptions?