Over 2.5 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder which contributed to over 28,000 overdose deaths in 2014. According to the Surgeon General, there are 16 millions diagnosed as suffering from alcohol addiction and an additional 25 million who suffer from the affection who are not diagnosed.

Let’s spend this morning reflecting on what these numbers and others mean for our society. Are addict moral degenerates or suffering from a disease? What if they are the canaries in the coal mine who reflect a more systemic failure in society at large?