Summary

In Chapter Three, "Blame," Jamison illuminates the ways in which society has created a villain for every addict story. She articulates how who is viewed as dispensable--someone to be purged from the body politic--and who is not, is direct the result of institutionalized racism and economic inequality. At the same time, she opens up the discussion on alcoholism so that it includes drug addicts, and points out the arbitrary line that has been drawn by society and the government between alcoholics and drug addicts—how alcoholics are seen as “tortured geniuses,” while drug addicts are seen as “deviant zombies.” Furthermore, addicts who happen to be white get their suffering witnessed, while addicts who happen to be people of color get incarcerated. Jamison points out how these are not incidental discrepancies, but causalities of a need vilify some people under the guise of protecting others...