How Society Keeps People Addicted

For over a century, we've been told that addiction is about chemical hooks and personal weakness—but what if that’s completely wrong? In this eye-opening video, Johann Hari reveals how addiction is not just about substances, but about the environment we create and the disconnection that fuels it. Through groundbreaking research and real-world examples, he uncovers why punishment and shame only make the crisis worse—and why our society is designed to keep people trapped in cycles of addiction rather than helping them heal.
Hari explores the profound implications of the Rat Park experiment, which challenged everything we thought we knew about addiction. He explains how human beings are wired for connection, purpose, and community, and when those are stripped away, we seek relief in whatever we can find—whether drugs, gambling, social media, or other compulsive behaviors. Instead of asking why someone is addicted, we should be asking what kind of world forces people into addiction in the first place.
Looking at Portugal’s radical approach to drug policy, Hari presents a solution that moves beyond criminalization and instead focuses on rebuilding lives through social recovery, economic opportunity, and human connection. If we truly want to break free from this cycle, we must stop waging war on addicts and start addressing the deeper societal wounds that create addiction in the first place. This video challenges everything you thought you knew and offers a path to a more compassionate and effective way forward.