Prescription drug abuse

Prescription drug abuse will, with fraud, social acceptance, and most people not realizing it, overtake illicit street drug use globally

Prescription drug abuse is now poised to become more commonplace then the use of illicit street narcotics worldwide. While waging the war on drugs, Americans have painted a picture of DEA agents stealthily or not so stealthily surprising drug runners in their dangerous routes and recesses, spanning the far corners of the world. It is not as if people did not know that prescription drug abuse existed, but for it to become so prevalent shocks us, and throws new images of fighting the war on drugs in our mind’s eye. How did this happen? Does this mean we are winning the war on conventional illegal drugs? Does it mean drug use of any kind is just becoming more prevalent in society? Were the government agencies caught off guard or does the citizenry chose to ignore people’s self-destruction? What does it all mean?

Prescription drug abuse and its recent increase probably mean many things. While we may enjoy sarcastically pondering the quagmire of large federal, international and smaller third world graft infested agencies, it distracts us from focusing on our own responsibility and assertive actions that many people never quite employ. It is so much easier to blame policies then blame ourselves for the state of those we know, who are abusing prescription drugs. Nevertheless, what if our culture encouraged talking to those we know that are having a problem with pill popping. What if stopping their actions became paramount in our personal outlook?

Just look how we normally do not to respond to people we know when they talk nonsense because they are high. Now picture your self instead responding to them by saying “Arbitrary synapses are firing due to your ingestion of some prescription or illicit chemical and you’re thinking you have just had a profound realization, so you blurted out quite an inane comment due to your current state of flawed chemistry. If you would let me, I would really like to help you get over this problem.” While I am quite sure this does not happen in the real world often or ever it is wonderful to think of the great repercussions in having statements like this occur frequently. Think of the reaction that your acquaintance could now give. They could start talking about their situation and allow you to help them, and be really very thankful you cared. This in turn could change their whole life around. Quite honestly, the fact that it does not happen a lot more is a sad state of affairs. It is not as if you would need to know what to do for their drug rehabilitation. All you need to do is be supportive and steer them to a drug rehabilitation center so they can get the guidance, support and facility to turn around their attitude and lifestyle. What do you have to lose? The worst they can do is say no to you. What if when you said it, someone else was listening, such as a child or someone that is also having problems with drugs, or a parent. Your words have power and can jolt people into new attitudes, new ways of thinking. Your words may get people to act, or inspire them to speak forthright themselves, and they just may become more proactive.

Maybe our talk of how systems, organizations, policies and resources are failing us is not what is needed to stem the tide of this surge in prescription drug abuse. It only detracts us from feeling the responsibility that should compel us to directly initiate the proper action to correct their problem. It is what will hurt us in the end. As a society, it would be better if we were upfront and involved with those we know, before they can do any real harm to themselves. If our mindset was to feel a strong obligation to personally stop them from ruining their lives, such a public attitude could work very nicely with the facilities that we have already set in place in the form of excellent drug rehabilitation centers.