SAD BUT TRUE FACTS

"Drugs are fun" is the first chilling quote from an 18-year-old girl
in a short article in Saturday's News about drug use in Medicine Hat.
It's scary to say the least that such an attitude prevails with at
least some portion of the population, and probably a larger portion
than most people want to believe. But it gets worse. A subsequent
quote goes on to say, "Dealers are rich, and they treat you really
well . . . and take care of you at parties, . . . dealers just give
it to you to get you hooked." Well isn't life all about having fun?
Mostly when you're young you think that way.

My empathy goes out to parents, most of who really do care about
their children's future. Unlike the dealers who selfishly give kids
everything they want, parents must take a harder line, which means
short term denial of pleasure for long term benefits. Most kids who
are into drugs couldn't care less about tomorrow. It fits so well
into the instant gratification culture so prevalent today.

But the realities in the long term are much different. First of all
people who use drugs need to know that dealers take care of
themselves and no one else. What's alarming is that the young lady
eludes to the marketing schemes, give it away until the people are
hooked and then sell it in small quantities so people can afford it.
That's of course until small quantities don't give the "fun" anymore
and larger quantities are required. That's when the fun turns to
misery and that's exactly where dealers want to take you. They want
users to become dependent on them. Oddly enough if one were to ask
this young lady what she thought about slavery in the South in the
1700s she would likely say it was wrong, and yet she is willingly
heading down the road to what amounts to the same thing.

It's a sad story, and it's not just about young people. Lots of
adults are into drug and alcohol abuse. In some ways society's view
toward alcohol use makes the argument against drug use almost mute.
Both can lead to a hard life of heartache and misery in the long run.
Sad and true.

Lutz Perschon is a member of The News' community editorial board.
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