“Although addiction is the result of voluntary drug use, addiction is no longer voluntary behavior, it’s uncontrollable behavior.” —Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse

“Drug addicts and alcoholics respond to rewards and consequences.” —Sally Satel, psychiatrist at the Yale University School of Medicine

Drug abuse affects drug users, their families, and society as a whole. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that drug abuse costs the United States as much as $246 billion each year. In calculating this figure, the institute attempts to account for the health care expenditures incurred by drug addicts, drug-related deaths, motor vehicle crashes, impaired workplace productivity, and crime. The NIDA notes that much of the cost of drug abuse falls on the families of drug abusers and victims of drug-related crime. Still, the institute’s final tally does not...