2. of or for insane persons. Warring on the Afflicted by Claude Tower, Prisoner of War in America As a veteran of eight years recovery from chemical dependence, I speak as something of an expert on drug use, abuse and addiction. They wouldn't get any raised hands. People don't choose to become enmeshed in dependencies. I didn't, no one does.
People use chemicals to treat their psychic and spiritual pain.
This seems to work at first, and the subtle deepening involvement with one's chosen anesthetic ensues. This dependency, if it involves alcohol, is recognized as a disease in most jurisdictions. Localities which arrest and jail citizens for simple drunkenness have become the exception in the United States. Alcoholics are routinely referred to treatment programs by the courts, with jail time reserved for the most intractable cases of public danger, such as repeat drunk drivers. Try to imagine a war on epileptics.