---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Working with drug addicts, alcoholics…"
description: "\"Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called juvenile delinquents in New York City convinced me that instead of working with individuals, more ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png"
---

#  Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called…

![“Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called juvenile delinquents in New York City convinced me that instead of working with individuals, more effective methods would deal with the societal conditions that create dysfunctional behaviors in the first place.” quote by Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png)

> “Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called juvenile delinquents in New York City convinced me that instead of working with individuals, more effective methods would deal with the societal conditions that create dysfunctional behaviors in the first place.”

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Addressing societal root causes is more effective than treating individual symptoms, especially for addiction and delinquency.

**In simple terms:** Fix society’s problems, not just individuals.

Key Takeaway

Focus on systemic change.

Themes

social reform addiction juvenile justice systems

Mood

analytical hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- education reform
- poverty alleviation
- community health programs

Key Concepts

public policy social determinants of health

Questions to Reflect On

- What policies could reduce addiction rates?
- How can communities be empowered to change conditions?

A Different Perspective

Changing systems is complex and faces resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alcoholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholics/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Delinquents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delinquents/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug Addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-addicts/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Juvenile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juvenile/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/)

## Related quotes

> [The fifties were when people started coming down on "juvenile delinquents," "hoodlums," "vandals"--anybody that was young, wore a motorcycle jacket, and didn't act polite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bob-briggs/the-fifties-were-when-people-started-coming-down-on-juvenile/)

[Joe Bob Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bob-briggs/)

> [Those who don't build must burn. It's as old as history and juvenile delinquents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/those-who-don-t-build-must-burn-it-s-as-old-as-history-and-juvenile/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [One reason there are so many juvenile delinquents today is that their parents didn't burn their britches behind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-reason-there-are-so-many-juvenile-delinquents-today-is-that-their/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [They put me in a holding cell with a black kid and a white kid and a Chinese kid. We're the United Nations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/they-put-me-in-a-holding-cell-with-a-black-kid-and-a-white-kid-and-a/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“The more the girls heard, the more it became clear that Uncle Jake and their straight-laced father had been first-class juvenile delinquents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buckley/the-more-the-girls-heard-the-more-it-became-clear-that-uncle-jake-and/)

[Michael Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buckley/)

> [I have to say I'm all for public flogging. One type of criminal that a public humiliation might work particularly well with are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-have-to-say-i-m-all-for-public-flogging-one-type-of-criminal-that-a-2/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [As a newspaper reporter, I covered and was around a fair number of crime scenes involving juvenile delinquents, and few things bothered me more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lz-granderson/as-a-newspaper-reporter-i-covered-and-was-around-a-fair-number-of/)

[LZ Granderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lz-granderson/)

> ["Lawyers Are": The only civil delinquents whose judges must of necessity be chosen from (amongst) themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/lawyers-are-the-only-civil-delinquents-whose-judges-must-of-necessity/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [Caprice, independence and rebellion, which are opposed to the social order, are essential to the good health of an ethnic group. We shall measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/caprice-independence-and-rebellion-which-are-opposed-to-the-social/)

[Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/)

> [Every age and degree of understanding should have its proper measure of discipline. With regard to boys and adolescents, therefore, or those who cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-of-nursia/every-age-and-degree-of-understanding-should-have-its-proper-measure/)

[Benedict of Nursia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-of-nursia/)

> [And who are you supposed to be? the King of snot-nosed delinquents?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buckley/and-who-are-you-supposed-to-be-the-king-of-snot-nosed-delinquents/)

[Michael Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buckley/)

> [In an age of abstract experience, fornication Is self-expression, adjunct to Christian euphoria, And whores become delinquents; delinquents, patients; Patients, wards of society. Whores,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-tate/in-an-age-of-abstract-experience-fornication-is-self-expression/)

[Allen Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-tate/)

> [If you want to understand entrepreneurs, you have to study the psychology of the juvenile delinquent. They don't have the same anxiety triggers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-zaleznik/if-you-want-to-understand-entrepreneurs-you-have-to-study-the/)

[Abraham Zaleznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-zaleznik/)

> [Organized charity itself is. . . the surest sign that our civilization has bred, is breeding and is perpetuating constantly increasing numbers of defectives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-sanger/organized-charity-itself-is-the-surest-sign-that-our-civilization-has/)

[Margaret Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-sanger/)

> [When members unite with the church, they should not only make a profession of faith in Christ (that is essential), but in light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-adams/when-members-unite-with-the-church-they-should-not-only-make-a/)

[Jay Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-adams/)

## More by Jacque Fresco

> [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [When you think, you think in terms of your culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/when-you-think-you-think-in-terms-of-your-culture/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [We will never know what anyone is really like, until everyone has economic security and doesn't have to answer to anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/we-will-never-know-what-anyone-is-really-like-until-everyone-has/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [As long as there are prisons, police, armies, navies; we are not civilized. When the Earth joins together and uses the Earth intelligently, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/as-long-as-there-are-prisons-police-armies-navies-we-are-not/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Perhaps the most significant thing a person can know about himself is to understand his own system of values. Almost every thing we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/perhaps-the-most-significant-thing-a-person-can-know-about-himself-is/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Man, in the collective sense, is the hero of science. Man, in the collective sense, is the hero of Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/man-in-the-collective-sense-is-the-hero-of-science-man-in-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Politics is an obsolete way of doing things. Although it was good a hundred years ago, it has no place in today's high tech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/politics-is-an-obsolete-way-of-doing-things-although-it-was-good-a/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Much of a behavior acceptable today would be socially offensive in a saner or more logical arrangement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/much-of-a-behavior-acceptable-today-would-be-socially-offensive-in-a/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [We must get away from this limited \*I did this and I did that\* and the self-centeredness, that dominates our society Today. It must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/we-must-get-away-from-this-limited-i-did-this-and-i-did-that-and-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [There are no negro problems, or Polish problems, or Jewish problems, or Greek problems, or women's problems, there are HUMAN PROBLEMS”.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/there-are-no-negro-problems-or-polish-problems-or-jewish-problems-or/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [If you're shipwrecked on an island with 10 million dollars and your wife has gold and diamonds, but there's no water, no arable land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/if-you-re-shipwrecked-on-an-island-with-10-million-dollars-and-your/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [As long as superstition and ignorance prevail, humanity will fall short of eradicating war, poverty, and hunger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/as-long-as-superstition-and-ignorance-prevail-humanity-will-fall/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Lack of education turns soldiers into killing machines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/lack-of-education-turns-soldiers-into-killing-machines/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Learning to be flexible in values takes a very long time...Of course I felt a little uncomfortable during questioning the concept of God, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/learning-to-be-flexible-in-values-takes-a-very-long-time-of-course-i/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [We are approaching a time when human intelligence alone will be incapable of managing a highly advanced society. Existing technologies are rapidly exceeding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/we-are-approaching-a-time-when-human-intelligence-alone-will-be/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

[Explore all 220 Jacque Fresco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

## More Addict quotes

> [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [Taxpayers would likely be responsible for treating addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/taxpayers-would-likely-be-responsible-for-treating-addicts/)

[John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/)

> [They said a drug addict needs rehabilitation, they never said what a broken heart needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satyajit-chhotaray/they-said-a-drug-addict-needs-rehabilitation-they-never-said-what-a/)

[Satyajit Chhotaray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satyajit-chhotaray/)

> [I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/)

[David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/)

> [Then they're like addicts; they can't help themselves... They will steal, cheat, embezzle and commit other crimes just to get money to gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/then-they-re-like-addicts-they-can-t-help-themselves-they-will-steal/)

[John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/)

> [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/)

[Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/)

> [When we think carefully, we see that the brief elation we experience when appeasing sensual impulses may not be very different from what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-we-think-carefully-we-see-that-the-brief-elation-we-experience/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [So many kids are fat drug addicts these days, it's almost as if Rush Limbaugh had puppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/so-many-kids-are-fat-drug-addicts-these-days-it-s-almost-as-if-rush/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [I'm a complete addict of The 'X Factor,' so I can see why everyone gets so inspired. But there's a downside to celebrity: your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-quick/i-m-a-complete-addict-of-the-x-factor-so-i-can-see-why-everyone-gets/)

[Diana Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-quick/)

> [“I don’t fundamentally understand why people give a shit about what other people put up their noses or what other people put in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/i-don-t-fundamentally-understand-why-people-give-a-shit-about-what/)

[Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/)

> [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-not-heroin-or-cocaine-that-makes-one-an-addict-it-is-the-need/)

[Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/)

> [… an outlaw gulch, a haven for draft resisters, struggling artists, and drug addicts…a camp for semi-demented adults… Venice is like the legendary Phoenix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-davidson/an-outlaw-gulch-a-haven-for-draft-resisters-struggling-artists-and/)

Sara Davidson

> [I had to come to terms about becoming an addict, which, for a long time, I lied to myself about the status of until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/i-had-to-come-to-terms-about-becoming-an-addict-which-for-a-long-time/)

[Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/)

> [“Addiction is a decision. An individual wants something, whatever that something is, and makes a desicion to get it. Once they have it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/addiction-is-a-decision-an-individual-wants-something-whatever-that/)

[James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/)

Browse all 634 Addict quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called juvenile delinquents in New York City convinced me that instead of working with individuals, more effective methods would deal with the societal conditions that create dysfunctional behaviors in the first place.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacque Fresco"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and-so-called-juvenile/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Addict"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and-so-called-juvenile/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5de/jacque-fresco-1644_addict_working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and_1307247.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and so-called juvenile delinquents in New York City convinced me that…” — Jacque Fresco",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jacque Fresco",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Working with drug addicts, alcoholics, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and-so-called-juvenile/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/working-with-drug-addicts-alcoholics-and-so-called-juvenile/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
