Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jun 2001
Source: Spokesman-Review (WA)
Copyright: 2001 The Spokesman-Review
Contact:  http://www.spokesmanreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/417
Author: Norm Mahoney

LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO WIN WAR AGAINST DRUGS

Norm Mahoney says when people turn to methamphetamines because they feel 
they have nothing it makes him very sad.

Meth. Crank. Crystal meth.

Everywhere one looks these days one is confronted with the epidemic of 
methamphetamine use that our community is experiencing.

Law enforcement has been totally involved with the issue for some time now. 
They seem to be setting records in busting the dealers and makers but they 
still feel and claim that they are losing the war. The judicial system, 
including the courts as well as incarceration, probation and parole, is 
claiming that it finds itself overwhelmed by the numbers.

The treatment providers in the area, both in-patient and out, both 
professional and peer helpers, are experiencing a definite increase in meth 
users but they are not, sorry to say, overwhelmed by requests for help.

The social service providers and some of the churches are also dealing with 
the issue.

Youth services, including schools, juvenile corrections and other 
prevention providers, have been aware of the problem for some time now and 
are struggling to combat it as best they can.

Finally, it even appears that the population in general is becoming aware 
of the problem, due to extensive media coverage.

I am now getting to my point.

It would be hard to find someone in today's world who is not aware of the 
legal, psychological and physical risks of using methamphetamines. And yet 
people are using it in scores.

Therefore, I cannot help but ask, why is life so bad for so many people 
that they just don't give a damn? They will, on a daily basis, choose to 
risk it all because they feel they have nothing to lose.

Is it time for our community to ask that question? Something is not right 
if so many are hurting so badly and so many have nothing to lose.

I don't know what the answer is, but don't we need to ask the question?

Don't we, as a community, need to start a dialogue on what is happening? 
Why is it, that in the most materially successful society in the known 
history of humankind we appear to have a growing percentage of people who 
feel they have nothing to lose?

For the past 10 years, while working in the Coeur d'Alene School District 
as the coordinator of drug education, I have pondered that question for 
many, many hours. It seems to me that the war on drugs needs to be fought 
by putting our resources of time, energy, money and talent to work on 
finding a provisional answer to the question and then putting in motion the 
prevention activities necessary to change the situation.

All the efforts of law enforcement, at all levels, as well as schools, 
churches and social services are simply holding the line at the very best. 
Even when they win an occasional battle, they know they are losing the war.

I am singling out methamphetamine use because it is such an insidious drug. 
I do not wish to enter into a full blown discussion of the social 
phenomenon of addiction at this time, but for the sake of this article I 
would like to make a point. We are all aware of people who are or have been 
addicted to alcohol, tobacco or even marijuana. Such addictions are 
developed over a period of time, and users are able to point to people they 
know who have used for many years and have apparently lived a full and 
successful life. Almost always their hope is that they also will be able to 
do the same. We know that some people fail in this endeavour but many also 
succeed.

I believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to find people who have used 
methamphetamines over a long period of time and lived a full and successful 
life. The nature of the drug, when used in a continual manner, is to simply 
take you down -- emotionally, physically, spiritually, economically, 
socially and legally.

I believe that most, if not all, of the people who choose to start using 
meth on a regular basis are aware of that fact and yet they start anyway. 
For them, life's meaningless and they feel they have nothing to lose. I 
find this very, very sad.

I invite anyone interested in starting a dialogue on this issue to contact me.

Let's start a war on drugs that has a hope of success.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart