LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO WIN WAR AGAINST DRUGS

Norm Mahoney says when people turn to methamphetamines because they feel
they have nothing it makes him very sad.

Meth. Crank. Crystal meth.

Everywhere one looks these days one is confronted with the epidemic of
methamphetamine use that our community is experiencing.

Law enforcement has been totally involved with the issue for some time now.
They seem to be setting records in busting the dealers and makers but they
still feel and claim that they are losing the war. The judicial system,
including the courts as well as incarceration, probation and parole, is
claiming that it finds itself overwhelmed by the numbers.

The treatment providers in the area, both in-patient and out, both
professional and peer helpers, are experiencing a definite increase in meth
users but they are not, sorry to say, overwhelmed by requests for help.

The social service providers and some of the churches are also dealing with
the issue.

Youth services, including schools, juvenile corrections and other
prevention providers, have been aware of the problem for some time now and
are struggling to combat it as best they can.

Finally, it even appears that the population in general is becoming aware
of the problem, due to extensive media coverage.

I am now getting to my point.

It would be hard to find someone in today's world who is not aware of the
legal, psychological and physical risks of using methamphetamines. And yet
people are using it in scores.

Therefore, I cannot help but ask, why is life so bad for so many people
that they just don't give a damn? They will, on a daily basis, choose to
risk it all because they feel they have nothing to lose.

Is it time for our community to ask that question? Something is not right
if so many are hurting so badly and so many have nothing to lose.

I don't know what the answer is, but don't we need to ask the question?

Don't we, as a community, need to start a dialogue on what is happening?
Why is it, that in the most materially successful society in the known
history of humankind we appear to have a growing percentage of people who
feel they have nothing to lose?

For the past 10 years, while working in the Coeur d'Alene School District
as the coordinator of drug education, I have pondered that question for
many, many hours. It seems to me that the war on drugs needs to be fought
by putting our resources of time, energy, money and talent to work on
finding a provisional answer to the question and then putting in motion the
prevention activities necessary to change the situation.

All the efforts of law enforcement, at all levels, as well as schools,
churches and social services are simply holding the line at the very best.
Even when they win an occasional battle, they know they are losing the war.

I am singling out methamphetamine use because it is such an insidious drug.
I do not wish to enter into a full blown discussion of the social
phenomenon of addiction at this time, but for the sake of this article I
would like to make a point. We are all aware of people who are or have been
addicted to alcohol, tobacco or even marijuana. Such addictions are
developed over a period of time, and users are able to point to people they
know who have used for many years and have apparently lived a full and
successful life. Almost always their hope is that they also will be able to
do the same. We know that some people fail in this endeavour but many also
succeed.

I believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to find people who have used
methamphetamines over a long period of time and lived a full and successful
life. The nature of the drug, when used in a continual manner, is to simply
take you down -- emotionally, physically, spiritually, economically,
socially and legally.

I believe that most, if not all, of the people who choose to start using
meth on a regular basis are aware of that fact and yet they start anyway.
For them, life's meaningless and they feel they have nothing to lose. I
find this very, very sad.

I invite anyone interested in starting a dialogue on this issue to contact me.

Let's start a war on drugs that has a hope of success.