Health consequences of addiction can be real. That's an easy one. If you eat too many sugary sweets, you'll get diabetes. If you start taking too many drugs, you'll become a drug addict. An addiction can literally change the chemical make up of your brain. That's completely wild to me but the science is there - at least the Nat'l health Institute agrees. (https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain) Which is all pretty wild to me, to be frank.
(Source: http://ccbhc.org/)
Which is why I came here to write about it. To research it a little further and see if I could share some of that knowledge to help others. In particular, I'd like to talk about one topic within addiction category today - drug addiction. With so many people fighting the Heroin epidemic in America it's important to remember we helped make this problem. I'll get into that later though.
The philosophy we currently use to impose harsh punishments and scare people away from using the drugs. The problem with it all is it's too much lies and bullshit for even a child to believe. Remember this great program?
How many of you had a Dare representative come to your school and present to you? Well, studies show these programs didn't help stop drug abuse really at all. (Source: http://mainefocus.bangordailynews.com/2016/09/before-addiction-theres-a-child/?just-say-no#.WXU4IoTyuM8) And to be truthfully honest with you - they made me more readily eagar to mess with drugs. Maybe not in 5th grade when the DARE officer came to our school and talked about the horrors that could be with drug addiction but about five years later - when I first smoke a cigarette.
I didn't die. Nothing bad really happened after I finished that first smoke. It was all a lie I thought. DARE - the anti-drug crusaders - the hippies had always been right! The thing is though, I was using the same failed logic everyone telling me drugs were bad my whole life - all drugs are the same. When in reality - it was far far from the truth. The difference between heroin and cannabis? It's 2017, thanks to Colorado we know that the difference between those two things is astronomical!!! It's a beautiful thing too really. All drugs aren't bad! Only some - we should be really careful of the ones that are too. And don't get me wrong, cannabis can be abused and someone can be addicted to it in an unhealthy way. But that's about as possible as getting addicted to donuts and getting diabetes. That happens still in 2017 America too. Anyways, take the analog there for what it is - nothing more. This all leads into the psychology of addiction.
Psychologically it's one of the harshest things to break - a true addiction. With the added pressures and soceital norms which highly frown upon addicts, it's nearly impossible to break an addiction. They say the average tobacco user will try 7 times before they quit. Tobacco is nothing compared to Meth, Heroin, Pills, Coke, ect. once you're hooked too. And what were we told all our lives about drugs? Don't use them and don't be an addict! That was the essence of DARE to my memory. They told us time and time again with other in-house school programs about how bad being an addict was and how bad drug usage was. Now, imagine you're using - you know it's bad but what can you do? Yes, there are safe places people can go but psychologically it's very challenging. It can feel like you're trapped very quickly.
(Source: https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/mousetrap-sirynge-drug-addiction-drug-trap-80633093)
The trap is hard to escape from as well. We have institutionalized our prison systems to run off of drug addicts. According to the government themselves, almost half of prisoners (46%) are in for drug offenses. (Source: https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp) That's bloody insane!! This also doesn't take into account anyone who was high, robbed a store, and then got a 2nd charge with longer term that was a drug offense such as possession. Meaning, these numbers are even higher when you start to look at the number of prisoner hours spent for drug related offenses.
Big Pharma is partial to blame as well as the drug war as a whole.
Some of the record profits they are showing as well should be noted. It's a public health crisis according to the NHS, regarding heroin usage / overdosages in America currently. It's sad. Terribly sad. I hope they get punished. I really do, it would be great to see a court slap a fine on em. Too much pushing of your product which is suppose to be a medication, which we know is highly addictive - not a profit making scheme. Anyways, there's high hopes that will happen. Instead, I just do what I can on a local level and honestly turn down any of these types of products for my own health. Personal choice. Some folks really need em sometimes too. Which is not a bad thing it's only bad when you're getting a script filled when you really don't need it!
In terms of the drug war, I still think one of the best examples of how to do it right is Portugal. They don't commit drug addicts to prisons and other criminal oriented institutions. Instead, they offer them simple jobs, a safe and clean place to get high or sometimes even help them physically use. It's a weird thought at first but it allows many addicts to be around a doctor when they come down- instead of a drug dealer or another addict which is often the case in America. It helps them find work, instead of encouraging them to live on the fringes of society and lie, cheat, steal, and harm to get there money or high.
It's a very slippery slope once you start on the path and for many, they never even saw it coming. Good folks, family folk, hard working individuals with love in their hearts sucked into the horrible realm of addiction. I wish there was more we could do but it starts with helping and being there for people on a day to day basis. It's a process, not something that happens overnight but sadly there isn't any foolproof way to prevent it from showing up in your life. Addiction can happen to anyone. You. Your best friend. You parents. Your siblings. Just remember that my fellow Steemits and Friends. Fill your life with joy and healthy choices. Be the light you wish you had when you were a child! Cheers!