DRUGS: WE MISTAKE SYMPTOM FOR CAUSE

In thinking about the growing drug problem in this state, I am struck by a
common theme that reads like this: "I feel good about myself only after a
hit"; "While using drugs the pain is taken away and I can try to get on
with life"; "My parents used alcohol and still do, so what's the difference?"

This suggests to me that the use of illicit drugs masks deep-seated fears
and hurts. Further, it suggests a significant level of dissatisfaction with
life, and experiences of unresolved pain and hurt. At the same time there
is a call for help.

Some will respond to these comments with the sentiment of "here is another
`bleeding heart"', but the evidence from families whose children have died
from drugs suggests that listening and responding in a variety of ways to
the affliction is the best way forward for those already engaged in the
drug culture.

When confronted with the pain and traumas of life, it is so easy to resort
to and be seduced by the promises offered by drugs. It is therefore
imperative, if we are to tackle drug abuse, to go behind the symptoms and
to deal with the causes; to ask why.

It is true that there are groups in our community, young and old, who by
their own choice experiment and use illicit drugs - some just to experiment
but others for regular recreational purposes - as others would drink wine.
Our discussions must not be limited to those who are seen to be different
or difficult, but must also include those who have resources and so are
able to avoid the dark alleys and street sellers.

It is also important that we examine our values, which give legal approval
for the use of many drugs that used in the wrong way will also lead to loss
of life and costs to the society. Are we in danger of being hypocritical in
taking a stand against illicit drugs, yet legally sanctioning the promotion
of alcohol, gambling and cigarettes?

Our response to the drug issue must not just be about additional treatment
or more law enforcement. Yes, we do need to have tougher penalties for
those who deal in and sell drugs, but the real challenge is in the areas of
morals and ethics involving values and social goals.

The ethos of our post-Christian society in Australia is uncomfortable when
issues of ethics are placed on the agenda. The changing nature and role of
the family, increasing pressures on young people to perform according to
the dictates of the new economy, the pressures from advertising and the
media, and a lack of real job opportunities contribute to a sense of unease
and distress among many, which leads some to turn to drugs.

The need to feed the habit becomes real. Professor Glen Bowes of the Royal
Children's Hospital puts it this way: "The pathways into rotten life
predicaments for today's at-risk youth appear tragically abundant, while
the exit paths are too few and hard to find. The tragic heroin death toll
is the tip of the iceberg of harm that drugs cause our young."

I have heard from one of our prison chaplains at the Dame Phyllis Frost
Centre at Deer Park (formerly the Metropolitan Women's Correctional Centre)
that 85per cent of women in prison are there for drug-related offences and
80per cent were abused as children.

This pattern is right across Australia. The links between being abused as a
child, getting into drugs, going into prostitution to feed a drug habit,
and finishing up in prison, are strong.

Low self-esteem and damage can lead to a vicious cycle of using drugs to
dull the pain, needing to raise the funds to buy the drugs through crime or
prostitution, or trading in drugs themselves. The spiral leads to further
crime, then prison, and, for some, early death.

Jesus said: "I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full"
(John 10:10). To me, this implies equal opportunity, maximising potential,
and protection from harm.

Just as God forgives and offers healing, we who follow in the footsteps of
Jesus are to do likewise, with a special concern for those who are
vulnerable, at risk or disadvantaged.

We need to look behind the statistics and ask ourselves: What are we doing
to support families, how are we dealing with child abuse and neglect, and
how can we develop more opportunities and equity in our education, health,
social security and housing programs to prevent the growing abuse of drugs?

Don't governments realise that every time they squeeze people on the dole,
or tighten social security eligibility, they put pressure on vulnerable
families, particularly sole parents with children, and this makes the whole
situation worse?