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Yet, Trainspotting never casts aspersions on these characters; it simply presents them in an unvarnished way and lets their actions speak for themselves. Still, for some, it may be easy to specifically isolate and demonize Renton and his mates for using heroin, and for others the film's backdrop of economic collapse makes it simple to excuse the sins they see. But addictions are typically a facade, meant to conceal a far more painful burden. Fundamentally, none of these characters seem able to harbor much hope for the future, and they each choose their own destructive way to deal with this. One man's heroin habit is another man's drunkenness is another man's anger, but the outcomes are invariably negative and the theme is a common one.

Whenever we replace long term responsibility with guiltless, short term solutions, the consequences almost always return to haunt us in the end. Whether a good person is made bad by an addiction or a bad person chooses to live irresponsibly, their lives inevitably align in the same direction. Trainspotting suggests to us that most of its characters may actually be good people on some level, but for the choices they've made. And we are given the not so subtle suggestion that for each of them, dependence itself isn't the problem so much as it is a byproduct of the real issue – the fact that they've given up on themselves.

It's occasionally difficult to watch, but the film almost always has a sense of earnestness that makes you want to believe that just maybe things are going to turn out well for these people. The film has an intentionally surreal quality, so that despite the terrible things that occasionally happen to its characters, there remains light at the end of the tunnel, if only they'd turn toward it. In fact, Trainspotting is often criticized for suggesting that one can indulge in bad habits and still have a good time.

We do see Renton and his friends enjoying their extended drug binges, drinking themselves senseless, laughing and living the responsibility-free lifestyle that entails a good hard addiction. But it isn't a secret that drugs can and do make you feel good - that's why most people who take them do, and to deny this would be disingenuous. But even addicts know that the high is artificial, and the irony is that the obvious downside of drug abuse is all the more chilling, once you have seen the upside.

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