The opioid crisis is rampant and deaths from drug overdoses are higher than they have ever been in the U.S. For decades, addiction has been viewed as either a personal failing or a purely physical illness. Both approaches, argue Nina Christie, are not only deeply flawed, but exacerbate the problems that face us. Addiction is primarily a social phenomenon. It is time to revaluate old experiments and see what they reveal about what really drives problematic substance use.