"Blame the substance, not the person struggling When 18th-century artist William Hogarth depicted the horrors of gin addiction among London's poor, historian Mariana Kapaldi notes that his framing was surprisingly progressive: "he's blaming the drink, the alcoholism, rather than saying it's their own fault." This distinction — between condemning a destructive substance and condemning the people it destroys — was rare in an era that often blamed the poor for their own misery. Anyone who works with people struggling with addiction, poverty, or compulsive behavior can use this reframe to respond with empathy rather than judgment. Source: Mariana Kapaldi, History Hit, Georgian Vice: Gin, Opium & Snuff"