“ADDICTION IS AN EPIDEMIC!” The statement comes from an ad on tv that offers information and assistance to individuals looking for treatment or rehab to overcome addictions. From the online news: ‘THE OPIOID CRISIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY!’ I’m sure many of us who have been around during the last few decades are not too surprised by this information. But instead of sitting back and watching it worsen, we need to start thinking about how it came to this extreme- and what can be done about it.
Influences
Call it what you will, but there are cultures in which alcohol abuse is considered an acceptable part of everyday life. Worse than the consequences to adults is the influence it has on kids. Adults not only condone it, it is actually encouraged. I only noticed this twice in the distant past. In one instance, a middle-aged woman was so insistent that her kids drink that she tried to embarrass one of her kids who had no interest in alcohol. She held her youngest child up as an example: ‘Even your little brother drinks!’ The little brother was, at the time, eight years old. She also ridiculed a United States Marine, a Vietnam veteran, because he was not interested in alcohol- ‘You think you’re a man- you don’t even drink!’ When this type of influence comes from an older person, it can be harder to dismiss than ‘peer pressure. I suppose it’s difficult for kids to be ridiculed by individuals their own age, but it is much different when it comes from someone older- it can be harder to resist because a young person can feel in the position of needing to ‘prove’ he or she is not a ‘child.’ The second instance: I was visiting some individuals who lived in a different state; after I politely declined the drink an older individual placed in front of me, he snorted ‘What kind of girl doesn’t drink?!’ I didn’t have the chance to reply, as the companion I was with retorted ‘The kind you don’t find around here!’ We need to start enforcing penalties for any and all adults who pressure or supply minors with any and all mind-altering substances. From older acquaintances to parents, individuals need to learn that setting kids on the path to addiction- alcohol or drugs- is not ok.
“Everybody” is another influence that needs to be dismantled. Regardless of a person’s age, if they hear ‘Everybody!’ drinks to access, smokes pot, uses other drugs, they are either in the wrong kind of environment, associating with the wrong kinds of people, or both. ‘Everybody’ is an excuse for all kinds of negative behaviors- and no one needs to fall for it. The next time someone remarks about ‘everybody,’ tell the speaker to check the statistics- and see what a tiny percentage ‘everybody’ really is.
There’s another form of influence that can range from negative to deadly: individuals who (said with as much sarcasm as I can manage) want to ‘share their good time’ with others- even if the ‘others’ are unwilling. That not entirely accurate- actually, what such individuals want is to get a kick out of how someone reacts when they’re suddenly under the influence. Long ago, I witnessed one girl talking to her friend about how she planned to spike another girl’s non-alcoholic beverage: ‘She’s so prim and proper- she’ll never know what hit her!’ When one is under the influence of a mind-altering substance without one’s knowledge or without consent, it is an extremely negative experience. While the four experiences I had were horrible, a long-ago acquaintance was not even that fortunate- not knowing what was happening to his mind, he fell off a cliff and died.
Responsibility
Quite a few years ago, one state made a change in its laws regarding diminished capacity: individuals who willingly ingested drugs or alcohol could no longer claim intoxication meant they were not responsible for their actions. Definitely a step in the right direction, but not all states have taken their lead.
A second example of refusing responsibility: labeling wrongs or crimes nothing more than ‘bad decisions’ or ‘poor choices.’
A third example: a young adult appeared in a tv ad for drug/alcohol treatment; sounding and acting all dejected and accusatory, he remarked: ‘If my family had insurance, I could have got the best help available!’ While families should help each other when necessary and possible, this kid clearly believed his family- parents- were responsible for the drug/alcohol treatment that he needed.
In all of these examples, too many learn that substance abuse is nothing more than a ‘personal choice,’ and, to further it, if problems arise it is up to someone else to deal with the problems.
Fourth, for the longest time individuals were explaining away (or excusing) lousy behaviors with ‘bad childhoods;’ when the DSM and health care providers came into the picture, it was labeled ‘mental illnesses;’ very few took a cue from a 12-step program that advised individuals to ask themselves ‘Could it be the drugs?’ I only knew one person over the years who was directly told by a doctor ‘You don’t have any mental illnesses- what you have is drug addiction.’ These days, though, substance abuse is often not met with ‘Get clean/sober, and then build a life for yourself,’ but presented as the key to a lifetime of freebies.
The ‘It’s Only’ Excuse
I started hearing this excuse decades ago. It started with alcohol. I was reading such doozies as ‘I’m glad my son/daughter drinks- at least he/she isn’t using drugs!’ ‘I’m glad my kid drinks at home, rather than doing it out somewhere!’ ‘It’s only alcohol!’
I shouldn’t have been too surprised to hear more recently: ‘It’s only pot!’ ‘It’s ok if he/she smokes pot- at least he/she doesn’t use other drugs!’
Similar remarks came involving other people’s prescription medications, and synthetic marijuana.
What Doesn’t Work?
Drug Court does not work. I’m sure there are people who take this option as an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives- but, from what I’ve seen, they’re the tiniest minority. The fact that drug court is widely referred to as ‘the get-out-of-jail-free card,’ it should not be difficult to see that many take it a joke, an opportunity to sneer at ‘the system,’ and continue what they’ve been doing- or worse. Drug court is ineffective- and can be downright counterproductive. It may reduce burdens on the courts and taxpayers, but it results in more substance-abuse-related crime, not less of it.
SSDI for substance abuse does not work. I wonder how many people who are encouraged by their health care providers to ‘go on Disability’ would really prefer to build and lead constructive lives instead. Either way, giving individuals a free ride through life does not work.
Legalizing drugs does not work. It didn’t even take one particular state a full year to regret their decision- from ER visits to DUI to more kids using marijuana, these were only the repercussions from legalizing one drug. Individuals who take the approach that legalizing all drugs would eliminate drug-related crimes are so far off the mark that it’s unbelievable. And those who take the added approach that ‘people are going to do it anyway,’ perhaps they believe murder, rape, robbery, and all other crimes should be ‘legal’ as well.
These three approaches to substance abuse do not work. Instead, we should be addressing the reasons it is so common: influences, lack of responsibility, and the notion that some mind-altering substances are somehow better than others. Otherwise, when we hear ‘Addiction is an epidemic!’ and a ‘National crisis!’ we are looking at a situation that will continue to worsen.
Influences
Call it what you will, but there are cultures in which alcohol abuse is considered an acceptable part of everyday life. Worse than the consequences to adults is the influence it has on kids. Adults not only condone it, it is actually encouraged. I only noticed this twice in the distant past. In one instance, a middle-aged woman was so insistent that her kids drink that she tried to embarrass one of her kids who had no interest in alcohol. She held her youngest child up as an example: ‘Even your little brother drinks!’ The little brother was, at the time, eight years old. She also ridiculed a United States Marine, a Vietnam veteran, because he was not interested in alcohol- ‘You think you’re a man- you don’t even drink!’ When this type of influence comes from an older person, it can be harder to dismiss than ‘peer pressure. I suppose it’s difficult for kids to be ridiculed by individuals their own age, but it is much different when it comes from someone older- it can be harder to resist because a young person can feel in the position of needing to ‘prove’ he or she is not a ‘child.’ The second instance: I was visiting some individuals who lived in a different state; after I politely declined the drink an older individual placed in front of me, he snorted ‘What kind of girl doesn’t drink?!’ I didn’t have the chance to reply, as the companion I was with retorted ‘The kind you don’t find around here!’ We need to start enforcing penalties for any and all adults who pressure or supply minors with any and all mind-altering substances. From older acquaintances to parents, individuals need to learn that setting kids on the path to addiction- alcohol or drugs- is not ok.
“Everybody” is another influence that needs to be dismantled. Regardless of a person’s age, if they hear ‘Everybody!’ drinks to access, smokes pot, uses other drugs, they are either in the wrong kind of environment, associating with the wrong kinds of people, or both. ‘Everybody’ is an excuse for all kinds of negative behaviors- and no one needs to fall for it. The next time someone remarks about ‘everybody,’ tell the speaker to check the statistics- and see what a tiny percentage ‘everybody’ really is.
There’s another form of influence that can range from negative to deadly: individuals who (said with as much sarcasm as I can manage) want to ‘share their good time’ with others- even if the ‘others’ are unwilling. That not entirely accurate- actually, what such individuals want is to get a kick out of how someone reacts when they’re suddenly under the influence. Long ago, I witnessed one girl talking to her friend about how she planned to spike another girl’s non-alcoholic beverage: ‘She’s so prim and proper- she’ll never know what hit her!’ When one is under the influence of a mind-altering substance without one’s knowledge or without consent, it is an extremely negative experience. While the four experiences I had were horrible, a long-ago acquaintance was not even that fortunate- not knowing what was happening to his mind, he fell off a cliff and died.
Responsibility
Quite a few years ago, one state made a change in its laws regarding diminished capacity: individuals who willingly ingested drugs or alcohol could no longer claim intoxication meant they were not responsible for their actions. Definitely a step in the right direction, but not all states have taken their lead.
A second example of refusing responsibility: labeling wrongs or crimes nothing more than ‘bad decisions’ or ‘poor choices.’
A third example: a young adult appeared in a tv ad for drug/alcohol treatment; sounding and acting all dejected and accusatory, he remarked: ‘If my family had insurance, I could have got the best help available!’ While families should help each other when necessary and possible, this kid clearly believed his family- parents- were responsible for the drug/alcohol treatment that he needed.
In all of these examples, too many learn that substance abuse is nothing more than a ‘personal choice,’ and, to further it, if problems arise it is up to someone else to deal with the problems.
Fourth, for the longest time individuals were explaining away (or excusing) lousy behaviors with ‘bad childhoods;’ when the DSM and health care providers came into the picture, it was labeled ‘mental illnesses;’ very few took a cue from a 12-step program that advised individuals to ask themselves ‘Could it be the drugs?’ I only knew one person over the years who was directly told by a doctor ‘You don’t have any mental illnesses- what you have is drug addiction.’ These days, though, substance abuse is often not met with ‘Get clean/sober, and then build a life for yourself,’ but presented as the key to a lifetime of freebies.
The ‘It’s Only’ Excuse
I started hearing this excuse decades ago. It started with alcohol. I was reading such doozies as ‘I’m glad my son/daughter drinks- at least he/she isn’t using drugs!’ ‘I’m glad my kid drinks at home, rather than doing it out somewhere!’ ‘It’s only alcohol!’
I shouldn’t have been too surprised to hear more recently: ‘It’s only pot!’ ‘It’s ok if he/she smokes pot- at least he/she doesn’t use other drugs!’
Similar remarks came involving other people’s prescription medications, and synthetic marijuana.
What Doesn’t Work?
Drug Court does not work. I’m sure there are people who take this option as an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives- but, from what I’ve seen, they’re the tiniest minority. The fact that drug court is widely referred to as ‘the get-out-of-jail-free card,’ it should not be difficult to see that many take it a joke, an opportunity to sneer at ‘the system,’ and continue what they’ve been doing- or worse. Drug court is ineffective- and can be downright counterproductive. It may reduce burdens on the courts and taxpayers, but it results in more substance-abuse-related crime, not less of it.
SSDI for substance abuse does not work. I wonder how many people who are encouraged by their health care providers to ‘go on Disability’ would really prefer to build and lead constructive lives instead. Either way, giving individuals a free ride through life does not work.
Legalizing drugs does not work. It didn’t even take one particular state a full year to regret their decision- from ER visits to DUI to more kids using marijuana, these were only the repercussions from legalizing one drug. Individuals who take the approach that legalizing all drugs would eliminate drug-related crimes are so far off the mark that it’s unbelievable. And those who take the added approach that ‘people are going to do it anyway,’ perhaps they believe murder, rape, robbery, and all other crimes should be ‘legal’ as well.
These three approaches to substance abuse do not work. Instead, we should be addressing the reasons it is so common: influences, lack of responsibility, and the notion that some mind-altering substances are somehow better than others. Otherwise, when we hear ‘Addiction is an epidemic!’ and a ‘National crisis!’ we are looking at a situation that will continue to worsen.