In “Sonny's Blues,” Baldwin explores the impact of drugs on users and their families. Heroin abuse leads to the destruction of artistic talents, lives, and relationships with family members. Sonny uses drugs to escape a depressive, stressful and suffering environment. Baldwin refrains from judging Sonny for his addiction issues because he wants to highlight the destructive effects of drug addiction and the role the brain plays in drug abuse. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay While millions of people might be facing the problem of drug addiction, sending them to prison is not a viable cure (Eagleman 203). The problem with addiction lies in the brain; therefore, it is imperative to develop strategies that will focus on the brain's operations to improve addicts' ability to control their impulses. Drug addiction is difficult to quit because once a person is addicted to drugs, they want to use them. them continuously. Sonny describes what it feels like to be high on heroin when he says that "When she used to sing," Sonny says abruptly, "her voice reminded me for a minute of what the you feel sometimes with heroin - when it's in your veins It makes you feel both hot and fresh” (Baldwin 17). try heroin once you've tasted it, because it gets you high The comparison between heroin and spinning music means that once a person has taken heroin, they experience gratification. instant and has the feeling of being in another world Therefore, the only thing we think about when we use heroin is the feeling we feel at that moment and not the long-term consequences. of drugs on the body. Sonny immersed himself in the battle of the present against the future, which is why he did not think about the long-term consequences of drug addiction. He wanted to feel the excitement of drugs at that moment. Eagleman writes that “for the brain, the future can only be a pale shadow of the present. The power of the present explains why people make decisions that feel good in the moment but have bad consequences in the future: people who drink or take drugs when they know they shouldn't (191 ). At the time Sonny was abusing heroin, he didn't care if it was going to destroy his life and his relationship with his brother. All he wanted in that moment was to feel good. Therefore, the decision to use drugs is a perfect manifestation of the brain battle between the present and the future. Notably, impulse control is a perfect strategy for coping with drug addiction because the brain controls the aspect of drug addiction. To elaborate, Sonny illustrates impulse control when he says, "Sometimes I think I'm going to turn around and never go out, and sometimes I think I'll come right back." I tell you one thing, though, I prefer to breathe. my brain rather than relive it” (Baldwin 16). holds back from returning due to his experiences with them. Sonny says he is willing to die instead of going back to prison because of drug addiction. His awareness of the dangerous implications of drug addiction makes him exercise control over his impulses and therefore does so. not fall into the temptation of using drugs again. Eagleman explains that "because the problem of addiction lies in the brain, it is plausible that the solutions lie there."., 2015.