I think I have heard the same. People whose lives are hopeless are much more likely to get addicted. The addiction then makes their life worse which causes this downward spiral of despair.
People with physical addictions can choose not to use drugs etc. Smokers can take 12 hour flights and they don't involuntarily take out a lighter and cigarette and smoke half way through. It is about self control.
With my limited second-hand experience, I tend to think it's less about self-control and more about the hopelessness you mentioned earlier - addicts seem to be exactly the people who for various reasons attach very little value to "being a healthy and productive member of society".
> addicts seem to be exactly the people who for various reasons attach very little value to "being a healthy and productive member of society".
These are just the people you notice and see because they don’t care that you see them that way.
My friend worked in the rehab industry. The people who attended rehab came from all different walks of life. Many of them had everything going for them and great lives. It was common for people doing well in work and their social life to think that they could abuse drugs because they could handle it better than “those people” and they wouldn’t allow their use to get out of control.
The idea that addiction is only ever a response to life circumstances is a myth. Lots of people get tangled up with drugs simply because they’re seeking some extra recreational value or euphoria and don’t think the addiction part will apply to them.
In fact, I think the idea that addiction only happens to people who aren’t good members of society is a contributor to many of these people dabbling with drug abuse: They’ve heard so much about addiction only happening to people of poor morale character or who are victims of their circumstances that they think they’re not at risk for addiction because they don’t fit that description.
I agree broadly with everything you've said but I think that you're unnecessarily implying/attempting to isolate it to a single cause, and I think it makes more sense as a variety of causes, all of which can contribute to what creates an addict:
* A lot of people who have broadly good lives get into trouble because their particular blend of biology and mental health makes them vulnerable to addictive behaviors, but others use those same drugs without issues
* People with poor life circumstances (and certain mental health conditions like ADHD) are more susceptible to addiction because they have rough lives and anything that gives you dopamine, be it exercise, casual sex or drugs has the potential to cause addiction, and people in those circumstances utilize behaviors for dopamine release more frequently and readily, and also have a stronger lack of dopamine when they stop
It's a very complex subject that's still developing, but one thing I think we can say for certain is that stigmatizing addicts and addiction and treating the people struggling with it as criminals doesn't solve anything. The criminal penalties for drug use and sale have never once helped anyone. What does seem to reliably help people struggling with addiction, any addiction, is support and safe places/drugs to use. And if GLP-1s can enhance that, I'm all for it.
And, it wouldn't hurt to change our society somewhat so we have fewer people on the bottom rungs of it, barely getting by due to whatever circumstance, whom are then less likely to get in trouble with drugs broadly. And to legalize drugs, because making them illegal doesn't do anything apart from inflate police departments' budgets, and push people who want drugs into dangerous situations, addiction being among them but not the only one.