Those of us who can easily say “no” to drugs and alcohol might look down on those who can’t. We could see them as being weak in character or  lacking willpower. That is tragically wrong.

Addiction is a condition in which someone does not have the choice to walk away. The craving is too powerful. The addict or alcoholic needs the drug the way we need air to breathe, or at least perceives it that way.

One young woman in the early stages of recovery told me that the first time she felt the effect of drug she concluded that that’s the way she always thought she was supposed to feel. From there she fell into the hole of addiction from which she barely survived. Climbing out of that hole is a lot harder than falling into it.

The recovery community, AA and related organizations, is a true godsend for millions who cannot otherwise control the influence these substances have over them.  If you know someone who has fallen down this black hole and cannot get out, or can’t even admit to being in it, jump in there and save that life. Get them into recovery.

Wasted lives and premature deaths need not continue. Each of us can help prevent another Whitney Houston tragedy.