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Alcoholism and addiction are not unique to the US.
Most US people are not alcoholics or drug addicts.
With just 5% of the world’s population, the US population consumes about 80% of the global supply of opioids, a gateway to opiates.
Today’s heroin ( opiate) is not your daddy’s heroin. Used to be cut with benign substances to create more product. Now it’s either purer or cut with “ grey death” substances, Fentanyl, Carfentanyl- elephant tranquilizers. The brain’s reward center is immediately rewired.
The countries with the fewest addiction challenges, spend the least and impose harsh penalties.
Any discussion of drugs usually brings out those who have misperceptions about Portugal’s drug laws. Despite the myths, drugs used for recreational purposes, including marijuana, are illegal in Portugal. What has changed is that about 18 years ago Portugal decriminalized most drugs for personal recreational use and instead focuses on dealers and traffickers.
At the same time, Portugal determined addiction was a health challenge and included treatment within their Universal Healthcare System. Given that US people don’t have the right to Cancer Treatment, we are light years away from such considerations.
Most of Portugal’s treatment for Opiate addiction revolves around substitution, primarily Methodone and Suboxone. Imagine public reaction in the US if the Federal Government arranged for home delivery of Methadone or Suboxone by government employees in government vans.
The equivalent of a drug court can and does prohibit an addict from affiliating with people who use dress. An addicts assets can be seized if the addict does not get with the program.
Several other countries are invested in harm reduction- needle exchange programs, government supervised injection sites and in some cases, heroin is supplied by the government.
I think the statistics are worse than published. There are probably more pure alcoholics, prescription drug abusers, and illegal drug abusers than we can possibly imagine.
Indeed. Given the source of statistics, it capture only a fraction of those addicted to substances.
I blame the Puritans who sailed over in the 1600s; for two reasons.
1. Their anti-pleasure bias. If it feels good, it's sinful! End of discussion. Hence, alcohol (and opiates) take on a "forbidden fruit" aspect.
2. Their toxic work ethic, which still hangs on like a strain of smallpox. What the boss classes want is good for workers! And anyway, who cares what's good for the workers; the boss classes rule!
Hence, the sleep deprivation that's endemic in this country, the un-paid overtime (which benighted salaried workers have been brainwashed into thinking is par for the course,) and flocking to the bar after work to ease the humiliation suffered at the hands of the bosses.
The typical heroin addict is male in his early 20’s and white.
He has unlikely ever held a steady job. He spent his teen years getting loaded.
While most who drink alcohol or smoke weed do not pursue harder substances, those who are addicted to opioids/ opiates, crystal meth, cocaine and byproducts typically began their journey with alcohol and/ or weed.
The younger the engagement the more likely, harder drugs will be pursued.
This thread is in the political section because "the Unhappiness of the People" can often be reflected in their behavior.
A recent study shows 37+ Million Americans are binge drinkers (7 or more drinks in a day at least once a week).
In 2015 33% of Americans were prescribed LEGAL opiates......many many millions of these are addicts now, and this does not count the 10+ million who probably get their illegally.
Add in valium, ativan, ambien ,kids on ritalin (speed) and adderall and all the other users of "mind changing" drugs and it would seem we have at least 1/2 of the population (I am probably being generous)...
It makes ideas like "only the sane and stable can have guns" laughable and makes a mockery of our education and other systems. Mental Health? Obesity? How the heck can you tackle such problems when the folks tackling them are obese and drugged or drunk also???
So, which came first, the chicken or the egg. Is escapism the only way to cope with our broken society? Or was the society broken by other means (wars, corporations, pols, etc.) and AS A RESULT, people feel they have to always be stoned or modified???
I'm the last one to put down recreational or sane use of substances...since I believe the human mind always is looking for a different experience. Even little kids want to spin around and around until they get dizzy (feel lightheaded). It's obviously built-in through evolution.
The difference is when people feel that a little is not enough. Most every drug and drink requires heavier and heavier doses to achieve the desired results. At that point, the effect on lifestyle and sanity often becomes negative...a drunk or heroin abuser is not often a "good citizen" in terms of education, voting, adding to our knowledge base and creating innovation.
So, what say you? What came first? Is it worse than ever due to the vast amount of legal (Big Pharma) drugs and the internet (you can get mind-boggling LEGAL substances online), etc.????
Or is this a symptom of a failed society?
You probably should have posted this in Great Debates since the CD politics forum is not exactly known for its civilized discussions - infamous is more like it.
That aside, we ARE living in a broken society. People have become isolated from each other and view anybody who is "different" with fear and suspicion. We only communicate with one another in order to call each other names. More and more folks find themselves stuck in crummy low paying jobs while the upper 1% skims all the cream from the top. "Trickle down" economics was always a lousy idea and now it's especially so since the Koch brothers and friends have left nothing to trickle down for anyone else.
We live in a democracy that many no longer believe in. Congress has a lower job approval rating than the local dog catcher does. The country seems to become more divided by the day with our elected representatives in thrall to special interest groups who pay them top dollar for the correct vote. Needless to say, the "correct" vote does not reflect the will of the people but rather the will of Goldman Sachs and Exxon.
While government statisticians would have us believe that the unemployment rate has fallen to only 4.2% or so, the REAL unemployment rate stands at 8.2% . (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm). So here stands Joe six-pack with a crummy job or no job at all, isolated in his fortress with plenty of guns, feeling that the culture is passing him by with Hannity and Limbaugh providing the background music for the fall of the American Empire.
When Joe says, "If you were me you'd drink (or drug or smoke) too" can you blame him? I don't. And I'll even admit to having an extra glass of wine sometimes because I'm so fed up with trying to deal with it all.
In vino veritas!
Now we have people pushing to make more drugs legal. We have enough drug problems already. Things were getting better. Back in the 80s there was a lot of drugs and crime. Anti-drug efforts greatly reduced this, but now people are pushing drugs again and telling kids that drugs are good for them. It gets worse from here.
I think I'm glad that I'm not one of the stats, nor do I know anyone who is (maybe my brother-in-law, he can put away some beer on the weekends).
I don't personally feel that drugs are bad. I do feel that drug Abuse is bad. Yes, there is a difference. There's nothing wrong with sharing a bottle of wine over dinner with a SO, but getting sloshed till your 3 sheets to the wind is bad.
I suspect there's a LOT of money-grab that's going into the legal prescriptions, which is why normal children are being drugged into comatose states.
I guess my gut feeling is that people are trying to numb out the world more than the world going it's direction because people are incapacitated. But one easily leads to the other, and is helped along. They feed off each other, continuing to get worse and worse till something is done. It's not Nearly bad enough for anyone to worry about doing anything that will actually benefit the individual person though.
You probably do know someone who abuses substances. I work in medicine and I have spent a lot of time treating addicts. Many are very educated, successful people who work regular jobs from construction workers to doctors, lawyers and business owners. They never commit crimes (outside of obtaining substances, depending on DOC). Most, you would never guess use drugs or alcohol to excess. They go to work every day and have children. There are a great many funtional addicts that no one knows about. I believe the number of people addicted to something is higher than reported.
I think the statistics are worse than published. There are probably more pure alcoholics, prescription drug abusers, and illegal drug abusers than we can possibly imagine.
I agree with this. There are many functional addicts who aren't going to be counted in the statistics. They don't end up in jail or on the streets and most will quit on their own if and when they do quit. Look around any office, I bet there are at least 1-2 sitting nearby. People have this idea that every addict is out of control, that just isn't true, many go to work every day and maintain a normal life. They suffer silently because the stigma and consequences are too high if they seek help.
The typical heroin addict is male in his early 20’s and white.
He has unlikely ever held a steady job. He spent his teen years getting loaded.
While most who drink alcohol or smoke weed do not pursue harder substances, those who are addicted to opioids/ opiates, crystal meth, cocaine and byproducts typically began their journey with alcohol and/ or weed.
The younger the engagement the more likely, harder drugs will be pursued.
I really can not disagree with this.
I've on this very board have often told of my addiction to alcohol. I've also been to rebab more than a dozen times.. I'm not proud but I have to admit to it or die.
I have two very fulfilling jobs. One that is a great help to society in general, because there is not many that can actually do it or deal with the **** I do for 36 hours weekly. And another is a simple Produce Job that really isn't so simple also. But it is in the general scheme of things easy and simple.
I grew up in a family of highly functioning drunks. Unfortunately.. That functioning thing didn't quite work out so well for me after about 35.. My Uncles started getting me drunk at about 10..
Where was my Mother you may ask? Well out supporting me. Because after getting his ears blown out at a Base in SE Asia, after 2 tours my father came home and was killed in an industrial accident at Grumman's. A High pitch alarm sounded, he didn't hear it and ended up getting decapitated by a door on a jet.
I'm one of the ones that was really too damn chicken **** or smart, not honestly sure which is true, to not delve into any drugs besides pot and a bit of cocaine in the late 80's. Which to be honest I liked.
I've seen friends and a few family members die from opiate abuse. I also believe those were self induced, meaning they went out and bought street drugs..
Now for the rehab thing, I can not tell you how many older folks I've met in rehab. Grandmothers, perhaps even Great-Grandmothers in there suffering from addiction. Opiate addiction. All caused by big pharma..
Great Granny's that actually bought their **** from the streets after doctors cut them off eventually..
But as a doctor, how can one prescribe powerful addictive drugs to Granny's and suddenly cut them off..
For the take as prescribe crowd, Yeah that **** don't work.
Folks that only smoke 10 cigarettes a day still get addicted.
I'm certainly no saint in all this but nor am I a demon.
I openly admit my faults. I contribute to society both in tax dollars and over 3500 hours of volunteer hours within a three year period. Which, I stopped about a year ago due to it just being too damn tiring.
So everything is to blame and everyone. from Repubs to Dems to devil worshippers..
Too much Pharm, not enough real help for those in need. And of course the people themselves who succumb to the addictions and keep it going without actually trying to seek help.
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