Whether
it’s the over the counter medication for a simple head cold, high potency
prescriptions for illness and allergies, or illicit street drugs for a quick
high, Americans seem to have felt the need to self-medicate themselves in order
to cope with life’s problems. Many people require medication prescribed by
their physician to live and enjoy a normal life; however, there are those
people who claim to use some medications and illicit drugs for their
“recreational” use.
Many of us have experience a time of
“chemical experimentation”, and our youth may have enjoyed a few parties while
being drunk and/or high. However, many of us have grown up, matured and no
longer need the aid of recreational drugs. Unfortunately, the effects of
overdoses have caused an increase in drug related deaths. According to latimes.com
in 2009 drugs surpassed auto accidents in causes of death. About 37,485 people
nationally were killed due to drugs.
We all know drugs can, and do,
destroy lifestyles and lives; in Clackamas County, drug deaths increased by 30
percent in 2013. Oregonlive.com tells us that even though heroin and cocaine
use has somewhat declined, meth has gone up by 32 percent bring the death toll
to 222 in Clackamas County alone.
How do we combat the chemical
intrusion that kills so many people? That is a question, I believe, that has no
easy answer. Unfortunately, we have been battling drug use and overdoes for
quite some time. In the 1870’s the first laws were put into effect to control
the use of opium, while the early 1900’s seen the first laws directed at cocaine
use and marijuana laws first began enforcement in the 1910’s and 20’s.
In the 1960’s drugs became signs of
youth, rebellion, social discontent and political protest. During this time the
government stopped doing scientific research for medical safety efficacy
according to www.drugpolicy.org. In June 1971 President Nixon began the War on
Drugs and increased the size of the federal drug control agencies.
President Ronald Reagan increased
the offensive when he took office in 1981. His wife, Nancy Reagan, tried helping
her husband by taking a major role with the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign.
Even though Bill Clinton was for drug abuse treatment instead of imprisonment,
he continued with the same drug war policies that Reagan used.
Trying to battle America’s use of
drugs should still be an active program; unfortunately, we seem to be fighting
this “war” the wrong way. CNN.com tells us the United States Government has
already spent $1 trillion since 1971 with little to show for it. We need to
invest our resources in America’s addicted personalities and a media front
about what drugs can do to you. Too many
youngsters use drugs like a rite of passage. Many young people begin to smoke cigarettes
to fit in to a group or to act older. We need to find a way to keep our young
people from even wanting to try drugs. If the urge to use is taken away,
perhaps the market will go as well.
As I understand some Libertarians
want little, to no government intrusion into personal lives, including
legalizing all drugs. I am all for limited government, but in my opinion the
last thing we need is some moron loaded up on meth, marijuana and, heroin to go
crashing into a busload of kindergarteners because his or her head was on the
dark side of the moon because drugs were made legal.
Many people of the 60’s, 70’s and
80’s, have tried every combination of every drug has been used; the ones who
grew up and matured either no longer use or use responsibly. Unfortunately, too
many children of those years either never grew up, or have an addictive
personality and should have never used drugs to begin with.
We should not pressure our law
makers to legalize illicit drugs just to make more room in the prisons, instead
we need to find out why people use in the first place and try to help them keep
away from these addictive substances. We also need to get back to the preemies
of the old saying, “This is your brain, and this is your brain on drugs, any
questions?” If we can work with the
addicted and work to keep kids off drugs, maybe we can make the buzz-kill of
drugs complete.
Dkhummel.com,
dkhummel.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment