Moishe defended his behavior, maintaining his learning was better when he was high. His family was an average frum family, and they were as helpless to control Moishe's behavior as anyone else. Hard Drugs and Our Children Cocaine, heroin, pills, and hallucinogenics have all commanded pages and hours in the popular media. The distinction between the various drugs only matter to the treatment of overdose or to help identify the user. One drug is no less serious than any other.
Many drug users dress well, hold jobs, socialize, and give the appearance of managing well.
Addiction is a progressive disease that only gets worse. It doesn't stagnate or improve on its own. It is a fatal error to judge an addiction by the drug of choice, the route of ingestion, the dollar value or volume consumed, the frequency of use, or the degree of physical dependency. As it destroys the addict, it severely affects many others, including the immediate family, friends and co-workers. In the frum community, where family ties tend to be stronger, this impact is usually quite serious.