What are some generalizations about people that use illegal drugs?

Generalizations fall into two categories - valid and invalid. The fact that a drug is legal or illegal does not change how it effects the human body. Most of the "drug problems" in our society are related to legal drug use. Many of the "drug problems" associated with illegal use of drugs are due to the fact that people with mental illness are self medicating because our society doesn't provide them with proper physical and psychiatric care. I would suggest that you think about the points I just made and come up with a question that more clearly reflects whatever it is that bothers you. Answer they are in a constant state of confusion after usage of drus and euphoric state over take their ability to think rationally. === === Perhaps the greatest (incorrect) generalization that we act upon is that illegal drug users are criminals on the order of violent felons. From a legal and psychological stance, this generalization clearly doesn't stand up. Sociopathic violence to others demonstrates a very grave pathology -- selling drugs to willing buyers, while illegal, does not demonstrate the deep pathologies that acting out crimes against people shows. The result of this has been tragic. America now houses over two million inmates -- far more than any other industrialzed nation on a per capita basis, including Russia and China. The cost of this is monumental. In addition, mixing populations of these two fundamentally different psychodynamic groups causes major adaptive concerns -- the non-violent criminals can learn to be violent (whereas the recidivism rate in multiple felony battery and worse is nearly total). Altogether a lose/lose situation propigated by the aforesaid generalization.