I’ve often wondered why individuals choose the road to taking drugs and then some become addicted.
Is it hopelessness? Is it availability? Is it a perceived stress-reliever? Can mental illness trigger such addictions?
With some drugs being socially acceptable like alcohol and marijuana, it becomes the thing to do but, still even for some, addictions do happen. For those that don’t believe alcohol is a drug, the Addictions Centre coins it as a “very highly addictive drug that is classified as a Central Nervous System depressant.”
I have been known to enjoy a glass of wine or two on occasion but am thankful that there are some health benefits noted to doing so. It also makes my heart glad…and in the days we are living in, “a happy heart doeth good like a medicine,” as it says in the Proverbs.
I certainly am not promoting drinking in excess by any measure of the conversation either. Drunkenness is rather unbecoming to those that do so!
There are many who consider even the socially acceptable drugs as a gateway to much harder and deadlier drugs out there. Sometimes one thing leads to another and for the inquisitive, the trap has been set. I’m not a specialist on such matters but am just making a personal deduction.
Recently, International Overdose Day was recognized to educate the population about drugs with information on preventative measures, to remember those who were lost to drugs and also to emphasize community resources available to those that desperately want or need help.
For every person that dies at the hand of a drug overdose, there is a family that grieves so the fact that naloxone is available to administer to those experiencing an overdose and on the verge of death, they have another chance at life and are still able to make a change. It’s a very sad situation and for those that have lost loved-ones, there’s a very big void left.
We should be grateful for organizations like the Crystal Meth Strategy Committee in Moose Jaw that are offering a helpful resource to assist in educating organizations, teachers, parents and peers into how to talk to your kids about drugs. Sessions would present information about why teenagers use substances, opening a door for conversation around the topic, offer some to-do hints, and much more. The Moose Jaw Crystal Meth Strategy committee can be found on Instagram and Facebook and encourages the community to “spread the word on meth,” which is also the theme for the organization this year.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
