The addiction stigma

Every time I walk into a cinema hall in Mumbai, the city where I live, the movie is preceded by public service advertisements warning viewers against the dangers of chewing gutkha. While I appreciate the intention to create awareness, I am also left with a sense of disquiet. I wonder if addiction is being framed as a moral failing rather than an illness or a cry for help. It is worth thinking about the deeper reasons that make people depend, often against their wishes, upon substances that ruin their health and their relationships. 

Three recent memoirs offer us the opportunity to