Chris Christie is a great example of someone who understands the problem. He was a prosecutor and jailed countless addicts and drunk drivers. Then one of his successful attorney friends OD'd.

He talks about this openly and very skillfully, in a departure from his usual blowhard persona. If you can dig up any of Christie's addiction talks on youtube, it's definitely worth a listen. He goes into great detail about how his friend was a powerful NJ attorney until the guy broke his back and got a Percocet prescription. In two years the guy lost his marriage, his kids, his house and his life. One Percocet prescription, then onto heroin. And the guy was millionaire attorney who rarely drank and rose through the NJ judicial system.