ponch1
Ponch
The first step is to admit powerlessness. There are eleven [11] steps that follow and they are very effective for whatever the substance might be. Seek the Big Book.
And, unfortunately that is not about the "society" or the "we" of which you asked. It is about the individual, though.
Even that isn't fool proof (12 step). My understanding is that rehab fails for 96% for first timers and doesn't get much better for the second time around. The other thing is, there is a downside with being surrounded by fellow addicts that can be counter productive. In the end, it's changing what one believes that stops addiction. Dr Max Maltz had some interesting insight into it.