Illegal street drugs, their use and abuse, arguably, can be
considered the nation's (if not the world's) number one societal
problem. So what can we, each one of us, do to assist in the slow-down
and prevention of druggie influence in our lives? And what is the
singular thing that we must do to stop the drug culture from its selfish
goal of foisting its dangers upon our youngsters and other friends? We
know we must slow down and prevent the growing abuse of such drugs as
marijuana, ecstasy, meth, heroin, PCP (angel dust), and LSD, to list
only a few.
Marijuana, alone, contains 400 chemicals in its smoke, 60 of which are proven to cause cancer. Two things happen to a pot smoker: 1) There is an immediate burn-up of vitamins and minerals in the body, and 2) The nervous system changes and the nerves in the body go numb. Unless treated, these unhealthy body and mental conditions remain a lifelong problem.
The key goal is EDUCATION.
We can spread the word about the tragic effects of street drugs upon the mind and bodies of all who use them. The first thing we need to confront is to take ownership of the problem. We need to realize that the problem of the presence of drugs in our society is OUR problem. It is not confined only to the "other guy," such as school teachers and administrators, hospital personnel, or those in troublesome, run-down neighborhoods. Each one of us has to face the reality that "It's my problem" and what can I do to help, even in some small way?"
There is a valid analogy here between today's problem of curbing the growing use of illicit drugs in our society and curbing the unchallenged habits of excessive smoking that existed some 25 to 30 years ago. As the bad habit of excessive smoking was more and more challenged (in other words, as more people got behind the fight against smoking), the decline of smoking began to take hold. And as we look back and analyze the progress we have made in the anti-smoking campaigns over these past 25 to 30 years, we can say with pride, "We did it, we all did it. Each in our own way." We confronted the problem head-on. We did not allow ourselves to think "it's not my problem, it's the problems of the schools, the hospitals, the police stations, and the courts across the nation."
The good news is that we can readily and easily educate, and re-educate, right from our own homes, businesses, clubs, churches, or charities at a very low cost to each one of us? Society's goal must be to fight against drug trafficking, which leads to lives of despair, depression, violence, incarceration, and even murder and suicide. "It can't happen to me," we say. The statistical fact is that there is no community in America in which drugs are not a pervasive problem.
Almost all drugs affect the mind. When a person thinks of something, he gets a mental image picture of it. A person on drugs no longer sees those pictures quickly and clearly. Instead he becomes stupid, blank, and irresponsible. He becomes "wooden," unfeeling, and unable to do things. He believes things that are false.
Marijuana, alone, contains 400 chemicals in its smoke, 60 of which are proven to cause cancer. Two things happen to a pot smoker: 1) There is an immediate burn-up of vitamins and minerals in the body, and 2) The nervous system changes and the nerves in the body go numb. Unless treated, these unhealthy body and mental conditions remain a lifelong problem.
The key goal is EDUCATION.
We can spread the word about the tragic effects of street drugs upon the mind and bodies of all who use them. The first thing we need to confront is to take ownership of the problem. We need to realize that the problem of the presence of drugs in our society is OUR problem. It is not confined only to the "other guy," such as school teachers and administrators, hospital personnel, or those in troublesome, run-down neighborhoods. Each one of us has to face the reality that "It's my problem" and what can I do to help, even in some small way?"
There is a valid analogy here between today's problem of curbing the growing use of illicit drugs in our society and curbing the unchallenged habits of excessive smoking that existed some 25 to 30 years ago. As the bad habit of excessive smoking was more and more challenged (in other words, as more people got behind the fight against smoking), the decline of smoking began to take hold. And as we look back and analyze the progress we have made in the anti-smoking campaigns over these past 25 to 30 years, we can say with pride, "We did it, we all did it. Each in our own way." We confronted the problem head-on. We did not allow ourselves to think "it's not my problem, it's the problems of the schools, the hospitals, the police stations, and the courts across the nation."
The good news is that we can readily and easily educate, and re-educate, right from our own homes, businesses, clubs, churches, or charities at a very low cost to each one of us? Society's goal must be to fight against drug trafficking, which leads to lives of despair, depression, violence, incarceration, and even murder and suicide. "It can't happen to me," we say. The statistical fact is that there is no community in America in which drugs are not a pervasive problem.
Almost all drugs affect the mind. When a person thinks of something, he gets a mental image picture of it. A person on drugs no longer sees those pictures quickly and clearly. Instead he becomes stupid, blank, and irresponsible. He becomes "wooden," unfeeling, and unable to do things. He believes things that are false.
