Drug abuse is an emotional topic for many because the age drug experimentation begins is often as young as eleven-years old and in a majority of cases leads to life-long use. Being strung-out is degrading and robs an individual of self-worth.
Can anyone become a drug addict? Is it possible for the lawyer at the end of the street to accept payment in the form of a controlled substance from a client? Can the doctor specializing in broken bones be forced to wear long-sleeve shirts in order to cover up the track marks from what began as popping something to ease the pain of a recent divorce? And how did the bus driver that transports the neighborhood children to school die in an explosion after downloading a recipe for methamphetamine off of the Internet? There is no social class exempt from the delusional deceit of addiction. Rich, poor; black, white; educated, or ignorant; drugs show no mercy on their victims. What about those who speak, “I only use once in awhile; it doesn’t affect my work; I only party on the weekends; I have it all under control.” Deceiving oneself becomes like second nature as covering up one lie with another becomes a form of art.
What does it take to suddenly realize that life without being dependent on drugs is far more tolerable than being a slave, which robs one’s dignity, pride, and sense of purpose? Is the idea of accomplishing set goals and living a life free of guilt and paranoia enough? Should drug abuse be considered a crime? An ambiguous stigma attached to a good person because he or she should have been stronger. Society must have sanctions for the weak minded. If not for the threat of punishment, the addict would have no accountability. But is drug addiction something chosen as a way of life, or is it a disease for which there is no cure, no medication for healing? It begins as a harmless choice, yet ends in criminal behavior.
