A C Graylings' idiocy

A little while back I commented on a piece I had read by A C Grayling. I had, prior to this enjoyrd reading what he wrote, usually agreeing with him. In the piece I refer to , however, he stated that he thought all drugs should be legalised but that he despised those people dependent on heroin and cocaine. His views reveal how many people think about drug users.
The idea of the drug addict as self indulgent, a wastrel, a thief, a vagabond, basically someone who society vilifies to sustain self belief in its own virtuosity.
Having worked with addicts from all across the social spectrum I try to do all I can to dispell some of the idiotic myths perpetrated by people like Grayling. Though 1.1% of people are schizophrenic, between 10 and 20% are schizotypal. This is to say they experience schizoid symptoms. Schizophrenia is a collection of symptoms not the name of an illness like cholera for example. Of all addicts I have met I would say by far the majority are self medicating against mental illness. Probably due to the fact many most drug addicts begin as recreational drug users it is often assumed that they are recreationally using, just to a far higher degree. There is little pleasure left in an activity that is killing you.
Recent research has brought in to question free will. If a man has a tumour in his skull causing him to think irrationally, if a woman is going through a psychotic episode due to schizophrenia and goes on to kill someone they are not considered to be responsible for their actions. So if down to his genes and experiences of abuse another goes on to kill aren't they equally not acting through what we would call free will?
This is not to say a violent person should be free to do as they will. Society requires they ate kept secure for the greater good. People ought not to be punished for their nature but we do need protection. Criminals who continue to commit crime ought to be prevented from doing so but punishing them for their nature merely shows concerns over our own reality construct.
I am suggesting a far more caring approach to drug dependence. Most addicts are confused people desperately struggling through a world that makes no allowance for them. How we treat them ought to be purely pragmatic. The comparison with schizoidal types, in truth many are the same pe pole  who prefer to look after themselves rather than seek help. Only the mentally ill from caring upper or middle class backgrounds find societal help. The bite the metal and grind through attitude of lower class people sees them make do. All help should be offered to addicts. If they are injecting or killing themselves through drug use they need medical help. If their patterns can be altered we must help through psycho therapy. If they are resorting to criminal activity or prostitution we must help. Not punish them. Our prisons are overflowing. We can not afford to continue to lock away people who are essentially I'll.