Substance abuse is anything but a victimless crime. Many people who are in favor of legalizing illicit drugs argue that every person has the right to do whatever they want to their own body, as long as it does not harm anyone else or infringe upon the rights of anyone else. They assert that the ingestion of drugs has no impact on anyone else other than the person himself or herself. That may be true in some cases, where the drug abuser lives in relative isolation. But the reality stands in stark contrast to this assertion.

Substance abusers have families. They are parents. They are children. They are siblings. They are spouses. They are breadwinners. They are employees. When someone succumbs to the temptations of illicit drugs and begins to abuse them through excessive consumption, their cognitive abilities become impaired. And their physical health begins to deteriorate as well. And what do you think happens under these circumstances? People who depend on you will be let down, because you will not be able to function properly and fulfill the roles and responsibilities that you are obligated to adhere to in the lives of others. Instead, you become a liability to them.

Substance abuse treatment becomes necessary under this type of circumstance. When the drug abuser has begun to wreak havoc on his own life and on the lives of those around him, someone needs to intervene and oversee the process of his rehabilitation. Rehabilitation means that the individual becomes detoxified. The body begins the cleansing process as it weans itself off of the chemical dependency of these drugs. The process of weaning oneself off of drugs can be just as hazardous as taking the drugs themselves, and so therefore it is absolutely imperative that this weaning process be carefully monitored and supervised by competent professionals.

It is not only the physical ramifications of drug abuse that you need to worry about. It is also the mental ramifications as well. While many substance abusers are of the opinion that drugs can actually help you to think more lucidly and helps to induce you into a state euphoria, the reality is that these short term benefits are quickly overshadowed by their destructive consequences. You lose cognitive ability. Your personality is altered. You critical thinking skills are impaired. You run the risk of becoming emotionally unstable. Essentially, drugs dehumanize you. And so what substance abuse treatment centers also focus on, in addition to physical detoxification, is psychological therapy and counseling, to help you regain control over your emotions, your critical thinking skills, and your gross motor skills (as these are controlled by the mind).

A substance abuse treatment center plays a vital role in our society, acting as a safety net to catch all of those unfortunate individuals who have fallen through the cracks in our society, having been ensnared by the trap of drug abuse. It is at one of these centers that recovering addicts will be kept away from the influence of drugs while they undergo treatment, therapy, education, and counseling in a positive and uplifting manner.