Substance abuse and dependence are problems that affect people all over the world. However, these issues are generally treated as criminal activities rather than public health issues. There is conflict over whether drug abuse addiction is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that addicts are entirely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that addicts need help to break their cycle of addiction. Much evidence suggests that addiction is a disease and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse caused by addictive behavior changes the brain and makes the addiction worse, and the environment in which a person lives can cause relapse because addiction can strongly affect a person. It is important to consider how drug addiction begins. “Genetics account for about half of an individual's vulnerability to addiction, including environmental effects on gene function and expression” (Volkow). This essentially means that once a person is exposed to drugs, they are more likely to become addicted to drugs after that exposure if their genes make them more vulnerable to addiction. Therefore, not everyone exposed to drugs will develop an addiction because they do not have the genetic makeup that makes them an addictive person, meaning that: “…predisposing genes interact with [exposure to drugs] and other environmental factors to create vulnerability” (Volkow). People cannot change their genetic makeup to avoid becoming addicted to drugs. They can only limit their exposure to a drug filled...... middle of paper ......ue, rather than a criminal activity that deserves punishment, would be more effective in preventing people from falling back into drug use by showing them the support they need to combat their addiction. Works Cited • “Definition of drug addiction.” Definition of addiction. American Society of Addiction Medicine, April 19, 2011. Web. March 31, 2014. • “DrugFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction.” » National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Np, November 2012. Web. April 01, 2014. .• Volkow, Nora, MD “The brain: understanding neurobiology”. The brain: the essence of addiction. National Institute on Drug Abuse, nd Web. April 1. 2014. .