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Johann Hari provides an amazing Ted talk on the topic.

We tend to ban addictions directly. Johann Hari makes a strong case that the solution is not to go after the addictions, but after the social problems that underlie the addictions. In summary, we seek addictions when we lack the social connections and fulfillment that we crave for as social beings. When these positive aspects of life are missing, we get addictive to anything that gives us peace, even if temporary: alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and anything else.

Rather than banning addictions, we are more effective by fixing the underlying problems that make us fallible to addictions.