Final answer:
The reclassification of compulsive drug and alcohol users from deviants to medically recognized addicts needing help is an example of medicalization, which promotes a sympathetic understanding and pushes for treatment rather than punishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In recent years, we have seen a shift in perspective from viewing compulsive drug and alcohol users as deviants to understanding them as addicts who need help. This shift is a classic example of the process of medicalization, where behaviors or conditions considered bad or deviant are reclassified as medical disorders.
With the advancement of medical knowledge and social understanding throughout the 20th century, addiction began to be understood as a disease or a result of genetic predisposition. Thus, those struggling with addiction came to be seen more sympathetically, with a focus on treatment and rehabilitation.
Drug addiction involves the compulsive use of substances despite harmful consequences, and drug dependence refers to the condition where stopping the substance use triggers withdrawal symptoms, which can be physical or psychological. When deviant behaviors are medicalized, it changes the social narrative, encouraging a more sympathetic approach to those struggling and often leading to a push for public health interventions and more accessible treatment options.