Addiction is the biggest preventable killer in the UK. Addiction is an insidious illness, permeating every strata of society. While awareness continues to grow about its impact, the nature of the condition is still prone to misunderstanding. Some take a less than sympathetic view towards those who suffer from addiction, particularly given the anti-social behaviour that can be a feature of, for example, drug and/or alcohol addiction. Reactions to such behaviour show that some people view these conditions as a moral issue or a character flaw, such as a failure of willpower, rather than as an illness.

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