People and their impact on others

I follow several other blogs, some from an addict's perspective and some from the families of addicts. There is this one blog, A Mother's Serious Blunder, that seems to echo my story in most respects.

It is so interesting to me that there are echos all over the world and the effects of addiction on those who know them, cross paths with them (accidentally or on purpose), love them, gave birth to them, hate them, deal to them, use with them, and so on...and then I really wonder, why does this plague still exist? We have found medical cures and vaccines for polio, measles, cancers, and now even eradicating Aids in a small child. Why not addiction? It originates as a mental health issue I'm certain, then comes exposure, willingness and opportunity - why can't we nip it in the bud then? Why aren't there tests, like literacy or diabetes, that we can administer to those who show symptoms and then automatically treat them? Why is it the addicts choice to use and impact those of us around them, yet it is not our choice in being impacted? Why respect only the individual's rights not the rights of the greater numbers? I know, human rights, democracy, freedom of choice, etc...but seriously, there are many more of us who didn't choose to use than there are who did chose to use - yet proportionally it is us who don't use who suffer the largest volume of the burden of impact.

This system / society is broken and I will vote for the one who dares to say it needs fixing.

I do have a couple of questions to anybody who is an addict (past or present) that reads my blog:

Don't you care how badly you are affecting those who care about you? If you do, what deal do you make with yourself to ignore how badly you are fucking with others?

When you use, does it obliterate any conscience or values you once knew?

What is it you tell yourself that makes the shit you do OK? The lies, manipulation, theft, etc...

These are genuine questions that I would honestly love to know the answers to because after decades of dealing with addicts, I remain completely at a loss to understand.