As a society, be it American or Canadian, we know so little about addiction. The term has entered mainstream language and is applied to everything from the wanting for heroin that results in robbery to consuming an ounce of chocolate when one is on a diet.
The legal system reflects this lack of knowledge. That's why judges sentence, perhaps illegally, DUIs to 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous instead of jail and why those who lose money through gambling can, like Joyce May Ross, file lawsuits.
On LEGAL BLOG WATCH, Eric Lipman reports that Ross, from Canada, is suing "the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and two casino owners for letting her gamble away over $300,000 after she had signed a 'voluntary self-exclusion' form, pursuant to which she should have been thrown out on her a$$ as she entered the building."
Clearly, this suit, if not settled, will bring to light many of the issues surrounding so-called addiction. Some don't believe there is any such entity. Others are pessimistic about its ability to be treated. The latter cite the dismal success rates of AA as well as formal paid services such as rehabilitation center. In the current economy of scarcity, we may become less tolerant of those whose behavior harms society, as well as themselves. They may not get off the hook, say on a DUI, and may not so easily file a lawsuit against institutions which allegedly facilitated their behavior.
The addiction defense as well as grounds for plaintiff suit may go the way of explanations such as "the devil made me do it."
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