We are taught our whole lives that drug abuse and addiction is a crime and that those who partake should be locked up. Tell that to the heroin addict who cannot go five minutes without thinking of where he will get his next fix. Try telling that to the student hooked on painkillers or cocaine who needs the help, but cannot bring themself to get it because of the negative and criminal stigma attached to drug abuse. Try telling that to the homeless person who spends every penny on crack-cocaine. These people are not criminals; they are victims- victims of drug abuse and addiction. They are victims of a broken system that imprisons people who desperately need the help that they cannot or refuse to get. These people need our help; they need our voices.
I have personally dealt with problematic drug use. I was never an addict, but I felt that I was heading down a road that could have ended there in the long-run. I did not see an end to my ways in sight, but luckily I found help in family, friends and professionals before it was too late. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people and not all are not as lucky as I was. All too often, they hide their problem from other people, and even themselves like I once did. Why shouldn’t these people be able to comfortably and confidently walk into a substance abuse clinic and get the help that they so desperately need? The answer is simple: not many people are educated about how drugs affect their body’s chemistry, or how dopamine levels are affected by drug use. This lack of education leads to more drug use. Solving the problem does not start with jailing every drug user; it starts with education and proper treatment. Addicts need to know that they are not alone, and it starts with us.
Now I bet you are wondering how drugs saved my life. I was terrified for the longest time that I was heading down the road to addiction and had nowhere to turn. It then hit me: I had everywhere to turn. At first, it was not easy seeing the substance counselor, and I can only imagine the pain true addicts feel of having to fight through the hurt and the bad memories that are brought up. It is even harder to give up something that you have depended on for so long. Drugs made me realize that I was throwing my life and health away. After a close call, everyone around me made me realize how valuable life is and how uneducated I was on drugs when coming into college. This is all too true with many, if not most kids who come to a big college without being educated on the subject, and no, AlcoholEdu does not count. Drugs brought me out of the light and then back into it by giving me a purpose. They gave me the purpose of being an advocate for those who cannot help themselves. You are not alone, and you definitely will not be fighting it alone. You have friends and family who love and care for you, so do it for them.
So tell me again why the drug addict is a criminal, and I will tell you why they are a victim. I would know, I could have been one.
In 2009, nine point three percent of people aged 12 and older reported drug or illicit substance abuse, and only 11.2 percent of that 9.3 percent got the help that they needed (www.drugabuse.gov). This is inexcusable. The system has failed these people, and it is our job to change that and help them get the treatment they need and deserve. You can be the change you want to see in the world, so go out and be that change.
