There is no drug that gets you addicted involuntarily, although one substance can be more addictive than another. First of all, drug use is always a choice of the user, but of course there are some exceptions. Some drug use may be illegal, and what is deemed illegal varies from country to country. A person may get a drug by prescription from a medical doctor, perhaps without adequate warning about the risks of addiction. Often the user is ignorant because he doesn't know enough about the characteristics and the risks of the drugs, especially if someone uses drugs for the first time. A lot of people use drugs when they are young, for example, to join in with others, to be the tough guy, to push the limit, out of curiosity, out of boredom, or because of the excitement, even because of being trendy.

Whether someone continues to use drugs depends on the environment, but also on the person himself. The acceptance or disapproval of the people around the user, especially of friends, can be of great influence, although friends' disapproval is not always enough to stop an addiction. It can even lead to someone looking for another environment where the use of drugs is more accepted. Another reason for someone to continue using drugs is the experience that it helps him to overcome or forget certain problems like shyness and fear. If someone continues using drugs for that reason, it can become very risky, because soon the drugs will be used frequently and an addiction lies in wait.