Far too often drug addiction is looked at as an intangible, nameless and faceless destructive force within our society.

It isn’t.

Look no farther than Ashley Seagraves, a 24-year-old Ironton-area woman sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for murdering 53-year-old Delmar “Buddy” Jenkins to rob him of his prescription medications.

Now two families are devastated, ripped apart, and children on both sides are with left without a parent.

Some may say that justice was served because Seagraves will spend at least the next 23 years in prison, but it is still hard to think that this is anything but a tragic ending.

Nothing will bring Jenkins back to life. Nothing will heal the wounds his family feels. Nothing will make up for all the years that Seagraves’ two children will be without a mother, regardless of what type of person she was.

No, drug addiction has a face and sadly it is often that of our friends and neighbors.

But it still comes down to choices. The addiction and drugs simply become excuses and a crutch that leads to the type of decisions that can’t be taken back, cannot be undone.

As a society we will never be able to force everyone to make smart choices but we can help fight the problem that leads to some of those. It is a difficult battle that must take place on many levels.

It must include law enforcement, education, treatment and re-socialization.

We owe it to all the Delmar Jenkinses out there — and the Ashley Seagraveses — to begin to truly try to make a difference.