A War on Drugs… Or a War on the Addicted?

Headlines are dominated by talk of a potential US military intervention in Venezuela, sold to the public as a necessary strike against “narcoterrorism.” But for those of us in the recovery community—for anyone who has struggled with addiction or loves someone who has—this narrative rings hollow. We know that you cannot invade a substance use disorder out of existence.

The painful truth is that such a war would not make our communities safer or sober. In fact, it would actively worsen the addiction crisis, squander resources meant for healing, and create new generations of trauma. At Grateful Truce, we look at this issue not through a political lens, but through the lens of human suffering and recovery. Here are five reasons why a war in Venezuela would be a disaster for those battling addiction.

1. It Won’t Stop the Flow of Drugs—It Will Make Addiction More Desperate.
The idea that invading a country will stop the supply of drugs is a dangerous fantasy. The global drug trade is a hydra; cut off one head, and others grow elsewhere. Operations would simply shift to new locations and routes. More critically, disrupting supply chains only increases the street price of drugs. This doesn’t deter addiction; it forces desperate individuals into more dangerous behaviors—turning to deadlier substitutes, crime, or prostitution to afford their next fix. This policy would make the life of an addicted person more volatile and deadly, not save them.

2. It Steals Billions from Recovery and Healing.
Imagine the billions—even trillions—of dollars that would be spent on missiles, tanks, and military operations. Now, imagine that same investment here at home. That money could fund rehab beds, counseling services, homeless shelters, and support for the churches and community groups on the front lines of the addiction crisis. Every dollar spent on war is a dollar stolen from a life that could be saved. It is a direct diversion of resources from healing our own people to breaking another nation.

3. It Creates a New Generation of Traumatized Addicts.
We cannot send our young men and women into the hell of urban warfare and expect them to return unscathed. War is a factory for trauma, PTSD, and moral injury. And what is the most common, desperate coping mechanism for that unseen pain? Alcohol and drugs. An invasion of Venezuela would knowingly create tens of thousands of new veterans who will struggle with the demons of war, priming them for substance abuse and alcoholism. We would be launching a war on drugs that, in cruel irony, manufactures new addicts by traumatizing our own soldiers.

4. It Ignores the Lessons of History with Another Unwinnable Quagmire.
The promise of a quick, clean war is a seductive lie. Venezuela’s terrain and prepared militias suggest a long, bloody insurgency—a quagmire reminiscent of Vietnam and Iraq. This type of conflict grinds down military morale, leads to countless casualties, and locks the nation into a cycle of violence for decades. This sustained trauma doesn’t stay overseas; it comes home in the hearts and minds of our service members, exacerbating the mental health and addiction crises within our military families.

5. It is a Moral Catastrophe That Deepens Global Suffering.
Venezuela is already in the grips of a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions facing poverty, hunger, and a collapsed healthcare system. Dropping bombs into the middle of this suffering would shatter infrastructure, destroy supply lines for food and medicine, and create millions more refugees. As a community dedicated to healing, we must recognize that inflicting immense suffering on innocent civilians abroad does nothing to heal the suffering in our own communities. It only adds to the world’s pain.

Conclusion: Choosing Recovery Over Conflict
The path of war leads to more addiction, more trauma, and less resources for recovery. It is a lie that will compound suffering both abroad and here at home. The true, courageous work is to invest in healing, compassion, and treatment—to address the root causes of addiction in our own communities rather than creating more of it through violence. We must see through the political rhetoric and demand solutions that actually save American lives.

Enjoy this video I put together for this conversation

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Chris Mosser

Author of Grateful Truce & The AGI Dilemma