Heger 1
Southern New Hampshire University
Module 7-1 Assignment: From Issue to Persuasion
Taylor Heger
Prof. Kenneth Saldivar
ENG-123 English Composition II
09/04/22
Heger 2
Presently, I am working toward an associate degree majoring in criminal justice. Criminal
justice is not only about law enforcement, but can be defined as, “the structure of laws, rules, and
agencies designed to hold criminals accountable for their misdeeds and help them to restore their
victims as much as possible.” (What Is Criminal Justice? Investigating Its Purpose and
Professions, n.d.) As an individual in recovery, I am most interested in the addiction aspect of
criminal justice. Having personal experience with addiction, as well as working in the recovery
field, I have encountered several opinions regarding what drug addiction is, and ways to treat
those who suffer from substance abuse disorders. After researching arguments one may
experience in the field, I have chosen two topics to discuss further.
The first topic I have chosen to delve into is the debate over whether addiction is a
disease or a choice. According to research, “Addiction is a chronic illness accompanied by
significant changes in the brain. Addiction does not occur because of moral weakness, a lack of
willpower or an unwillingness to stop. This finding stems from decades of work investigating the
effects of substance use on the brain.” (Hardee, 2017) I agree that the first use is a choice,
however, as the addiction progresses, the more difficult it becomes to stop. I am positive that
