Addicts Are Passionate

It’s a difficult topic, and it dives into the psychology of addiction. Maybe you’ll relate to it, or maybe you know someone who will.

Addicts are a passionate bunch.

Now, if you’re after a hand-holding, feel-good story, this isn’t it. This one sits firmly in the Sober Standard “enough bullshit” philosophy.

We recently uploaded a video to our YouTube channel about a young Australian, Sam Brennan, who ran from Sydney to Canberra to raise awareness of nang use in Australia. If you’ve missed the background, I’d encourage you to first read The Rise of Nangs: What We Know, What We Don’t, and Why the Gap Between Those Two Things Should Terrify You. It explains why nitrous oxide has quietly become one of Australia’s most overlooked drug problems.

Almost instantly, the first comments rolled in:

“If you get addicted to nangs it’s your own fault. You’re huffing big spray. It’s the same thing. It’s not even a drug.”

“How much is the government paying you?”

I know why this happens.

The algorithm pushes content like this to people who’ve already engaged with the topic. They’re triggered by it and they’re serial commenters. Coincidentally, while researching Sam before our interview, I looked through the comments on his own videos and they were littered with these exact same opinions.

At first, I actually thought, Jeez, why is this guy getting so much pushback?

As someone who’s naturally sceptical of the government, I thought maybe they had a point. Maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

So let’s look at Sam’s story through their eyes.

Sam didn’t become addicted to something that can become addictive.

He didn’t suffer serious neurological issues from prolonged nitrous oxide use.

He didn’t run to Parliament House to raise awareness.

Apparently, he did it because the government paid him.

Right.

What really struck me wasn’t even the comments themselves.

It was how familiar they felt.

I’ve sat across from stoners, alcoholics, gamblers and people addicted to opioids who’ve all expressed this same sentiment in one form or another. People become incredibly passionate about defending their drug of choice. Sometimes even more passionate than the people trying to highlight the harms, ask difficult questions, or examine the role governments have played in allowing those harms to continue.

It’s one of the most fascinating parts of addiction.

The substance slowly becomes part of your identity. Criticism of the drug starts to feel like criticism of you. Before long, you’re no longer just using it—you’re defending it.

I don’t think I’ve seen that belief system more clearly than in the push to legalise and normalise marijuana in America. Every article or post that even hints at potential harms is flooded with people insisting it’s “just a plant” and that it’s actually good for you. Mention the possibility of long-term or irreversible mental health effects and suddenly you’ve crossed a line. You’re not even allowed to have the conversation.

That isn’t a discussion anymore.

It’s tribalism.

Ironically, that’s exactly why stories like Sam’s matter.

If there were already enough balanced conversations around nitrous oxide, he wouldn’t have needed to run from Sydney to Canberra in the first place. The fact that we still know so little about the long-term consequences is exactly why awareness matters. If you haven’t already, read our deep dive into the rise of nangs in Australia.

Sam is going to come up against that same resistance from the nang community. It’s probably much bigger than he expected.

But the easy road is doing nothing.

He’s chosen to do the opposite.

And whether you agree with every opinion he has or not, that’s something worth respecting.