My current struggle: drug addiction.
No, not with me, but how to unpack why it is "bad". I'm trying to model its impact on a city. Here in San Francisco it's a huge issue.
Community impacts:
Society's degredation?
Government cost?
Economic overhead?
Personal:
Lowered potential in career, relationships and personal goals?
Increase in depression?
General unhappiness?
Thoughts?
@jurban there’s the fact that it increases your risk of accidental death, suicide and incarceration. It literally can ruin the lives of others around you financially and emotionally in addition to your own. It robs you of time that you will never get back by lying to you and keeps you trapped, preventing your ability to truly feel and experience the one life you have been given.
@SmileAndNod
Yes. I agree.
I'm trying to assess this a level or to more abstracted from the person. This may sound heartless, but I'm trying to find arguments for politicians and economists to justify investing into programs to "fix" this.
Appealing to the heart or the conditions of an individual only impacts a few. We need a broader argument.
I might summarize your insights into: the person is less of an asset to the community and economy, and probably a liability.