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On June 26, the UN observed the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The Secretary-General’s message that day was as follows: “We cannot allow the world drug problem to further overshadow the lives of tens of millions of people in humanitarian crises. On this important day, let us commit to dispel this shadow once and for all and give this issue the attention and action it deserves.”. In our view, as long as people want to escape from life, and as long as drugs are so available, substance abuse and addiction will continue to haunt humanity.
Because drugs are so accessible these days, young people who used to escape all their problems with alcohol or smoking now do so with drugs, and sometimes potent ones at that. The goal when using is to get high, to disconnect your thoughts from the trappings of life, to allow yourself to feel relief and happiness, even if it is temporary and later leads to deeper falls.
Besides, drugs are good business. There are too many people making too much money from it for the drug abuse eradication discussion to be relevant.
Besides the dealers, there are enough politicians in high places whose job it is to condemn drug use, do nothing, and only support the situation as it is. Like many other higher-ups, they view the definition of their job not as a mission to help mankind, but as feeding a cash cow and milking it to the fullest. This cow is “fed” by a large number of drug addicts, and the “milk” is the bloated budgets that “drug abuse prevention” organizations receive to perpetuate the problem by pretending to fight it.
That’s why, according to UN statistics, drug sales through the underground market almost quadrupled between 2011 and 2020. If there was any intention of eradicating drug abuse, those at the top of the system would have been fired a long time ago. But since there is no such goal, these people are glorified as heroes and their budgets are further inflated to deal with the “growing” crisis.
If we really want to solve the problem of drug abuse, we first have to decide what we want to do about addicts. Do we really want them to disappear? In the latter case, the authorities must provide drug addicts with proper living conditions until they are cured. If we cannot convince people that there is more to life than running away from it, we must at least give them the opportunity to walk away from life with dignity.
At the same time, it is necessary to make drugs inaccessible. Yes, it’s simple enough. But only if we are willing to cut the well-paid jobs of those in charge of “combating” drug abuse. If we really want to get rid of drugs, we must eliminate access to them. This is the first step.
Then we have to offer a replacement. Not everyone will want that, yet we need to offer a substitute that can meet the need that pushes at least some people toward addiction and other forms of escapism.
The substitute we have to offer drug users is the human relationship. Just as Vietnam veterans, many of whom used drugs during their service, stopped using drugs when they returned to their families, we should offer the same sentiment to current addicts.
Alas, a sense of family warmth, acceptance, and knowing that people care about you is the ingredient that is depleted in society at the greatest rate. Without confidence and a sense of security, people will be afraid to face life and will be left without choices, and this will push them into escapism. The human connection is the only antidote to drug abuse. It doesn’t cost anything, it doesn’t bring in a lot of money, it’s not hyped in the media, but it works like a cure. This medicine will encourage people to feel safe, loved and wanted. And they’re bound to cling to life.
