Addiction has the potential to limit one's well being and lead to the overall destruction of one's life. Drugs can have an extremely powerful hold over one, especially those who are genetically prone to addiction. I have always found it ironic that alcohol, cafeine and cigarettes are legal to use, sell and buy, however, drugs such as marijuana, could lead one into jail time. I am not one of those "marijuana should be legal advocates", I just find the situtation to be hypocrticial. There are a high number of fatalities from drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, lung cancer and cancer caused by secondhand smoke. Birth defects could even be apparent in mothers who drink and/or smoke while pregnant. With alcohol and cigarettes being a contributor to a many diseases and fatalities, it is a wonder how and why they are even legal. In this case, it is an individual effort. There are those who are fully capable of having one drink, while at a social event, while there are others who can go through a case of beer in a sitting. The number of drink related car accidents, deaths and poisoning would decrease, should the individual control their drinking, or have a designated driver. This is not always the case, for some are prone to alcoholism or are unable to control their usage. I used to volunteer at Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. They were extremely spiritual as well as eye opening. To hear the stories of those crippled by alcohol is heart wrenching and they need to be heard and helped. To take alcohol off the shelves would not be the answer (Prohibition obviously proves this). It is important, however, to make sure that when drinking, we as individuals take responsibility and drink in legal amounts. It is also important to have designated drivers and a responsible social network. For those individuals who do not have this support group, there are many free programs out there that can help. One of the young men at the AA meetings I attended was waiting for his sentance. He had killed a young girl while drinking and driving. To live with such guilt is unbearable. My heart truly goes to this young man and the young girl's loved ones. A situation like this could be prevented with the right help. Addiction goes further than alcohol and cigarettes. There are a countless number of drugs on the market. Experimentaion of drugs is common and sometimes it happens to the best of us, however, addiction is a serious condition and a terrible deamon to fight. I, along with many others, have lost a loved one to addiction. Even with many avenues that could help an individual, sometimes, the addiction is too overbearing and powerful. There are drugs on the market that only take one hit to become addicted. Even though it sounds repetitive or sometimes socially lame, being drug free really is the best way to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdAu5HcMuBs
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When we consume any substance, we usually do it for a good reason, or at-least we hope for it to be good! Sometimes we find ourselves unhappy with the choices we've made, such as gaining excess weight after an over-consumption of "Fast~FOOD!"
ReplyDeleteTrue addiction exists when a person would do almost anything to get that good, happy, irresistible feeling. For example, an opiate addiction might cause a person to form unacceptable behaviors, such as theft. Once an addict can get to their desired state through their learned behavior’s, the ability to acquire the substance becomes almost as easy as buying a hamburger. You can pick it up, fast, quick, and easy! Right off the Dollar Menu.