--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But…" description: "\"Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our expe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/milton-friedman-616_addict_drugs-are-a-tragedy-for-addicts-but-crim_1890260.png" --- # Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their… ![“Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/milton-friedman-616_addict_drugs-are-a-tragedy-for-addicts-but-crim_1890260.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/milton-friedman-616_addict_drugs-are-a-tragedy-for-addicts-but-crim_1890260.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/milton-friedman-616_addict_drugs-are-a-tragedy-for-addicts-but-crim_1890260.png) > “Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal prohibition of drugs shifts harm from individuals to broader society, worsening overall damage. **In simple terms:** Criminalizing drugs harms society more than the addicts themselves. Key Takeaway Reconsider drug laws to reduce societal harm. Themes public policy law reform public health crime societal impact Mood critical analytical concerned Type argumentative policy analytical When to use this quote - policy debate - healthcare reform - criminal justice reform Key Concepts externalities harm reduction prohibition addiction social cost Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to criminalization could better address addiction? - How does prohibition affect non‑users? A Different Perspective Prohibition may be politically popular but can increase crime and health crises. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcoholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholics/) [Beverages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beverages/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [In claiming that prohibition, not the drugs themselves, is the problem, Nadelmann and many others - even policemen - have said that "the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dalrymple/in-claiming-that-prohibition-not-the-drugs-themselves-is-the-problem/) [Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/) > [The prohibition of drugs causes crime. You don't have to legalize, just decriminalize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/the-prohibition-of-drugs-causes-crime-you-don-t-have-to-legalize-just/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [“Some things never get that. The replay, and all. So at some point you have to make peace with it as it is, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/some-things-never-get-that-the-replay-and-all-so-at-some-point-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [We wouldn't pay to rent and watch the same painful movie two hundred fifty times, but somehow we let our mind replay a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-chozen-bays/we-wouldn-t-pay-to-rent-and-watch-the-same-painful-movie-two-hundred/) [Jan Chozen Bays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-chozen-bays/) > [I watch a lot of sport on television. I only watch certain sports, and I only watch them live - I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-watch-a-lot-of-sport-on-television-i-only-watch-certain-sports-and/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [Loving you is like a Song I replay every 3 Minutes and 30 Seconds of every Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/loving-you-is-like-a-song-i-replay-every-3-minutes-and-30-seconds-of/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [I don't know how we could use it to improve the job that umpires do, ... The human element in sport has always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bud-selig/i-don-t-know-how-we-could-use-it-to-improve-the-job-that-umpires-do/) [Bud Selig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bud-selig/) > [Weve done so many things. Some we wish we had never done, some we wish we could replay. They are all make us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/weve-done-so-many-things-some-we-wish-we-had-never-done-some-we-wish/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [We're a new show. We can't afford instant replay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/we-re-a-new-show-we-can-t-afford-instant-replay/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [I have seen women walk right past a TV set with a football game on and - this always amazes me - not stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-have-seen-women-walk-right-past-a-tv-set-with-a-football-game-on/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I remember when replay first came to TV. I can't remember who it was now, but a manager came out to beef about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-harvey/i-remember-when-replay-first-came-to-tv-i-can-t-remember-who-it-was/) [Doug Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-harvey/) > [And now 'tis man who dares assault the sky ... And as we come to claim our promised place, Aim only to replay the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goddard-bergin/and-now-tis-man-who-dares-assault-the-sky-and-as-we-come-to-claim-our/) Thomas Goddard Bergin > [Everything you say or allow into your eyes or ears becomes data that is stored in your heart. That data is later replayed during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/everything-you-say-or-allow-into-your-eyes-or-ears-becomes-data-that/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Language always preserves a play or figure/ground relation between experience, and perception and its replay in expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/language-always-preserves-a-play-or-figure-ground-relation-between/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Addict quotes > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. 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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. 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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": "Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. 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