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Valerie Joco

Mason Donald

Writing For College

22 January 18

Winning the Drug War: Changing More Than Our Policies

A hundred agonizing years ago, the first American ban on drugs, the Harrison Narcotic

Act, was passed. By doing this, the nation made this critical decision to pluck addicts, and shame

and punish them because this would be deterrence; this would give drug users an incentive to

stop. However, since then, the number of cocaine addicts has eight folded. According to

Frontline’s Drug War, there were about 200,000 cocaine addicts alone in the US in 1915. Now,

there is an estimated 1.5 million cocaine addicts. Evidently, America’s approach is only

exacerbating the problem. By improving community and family relationships, focusing more on

rehabilitation, and increasing drug education and awareness, America can decrease addiction

rates.

Strong community and family relationships will decrease addiction. While some

responsibility is on addicts to get better, Mercy West Hospital in Cincinnati exemplifies how

decreasing addiction rates is largely a communal effort. This particular hospital took the

initiative to create a simple screening process that comes at no cost to the hospital or patients.

Health providers just ask patients, regardless of what they came in for, if they ever have ever felt

depressed or hopeless, or have a lack of interest in activities usually enjoyable for them. “If a

patient's answers do raise red flags, screeners work to educate them about recovery services,

refer them to treatment and make that warm handoff when possible,” assures Brian Gray of the

Behavioral Health Institute at Mercy Health (Smith). Emergency services director, Beth Pierce
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acknowledges that not all addicts will take advantage of the program (Smith). “Some patients

don't want help with their addiction but at least we plant the seed, let them know we're here,”

Pierce says. This screening process is simple, inexpensive, and yet effective. Hospitals across

America should follow Mercy West Hospital’s lead and treat addicts less like criminals and more

like those in need, which will help eradicate drug addiction.

California also leads by example and is making significant changes in their

communities. Addict Michael Steelman was prescribed painkillers for a neck injury. After his

doctor stopped his prescription because he was taking too many pills daily, Steelman turned to

the black market. “The thing I don’t understand is that doctors push this stuff on you, they say

it’s the best solution,” Steelman expresses. “And then when you get to that point–‘Hey, Doc,

something’s not right, I’m taking more than I’m supposed to’—they cut you off” (Smith).

Doctors in California are taking responsibility and being educated against over prescribing.

State health officials have partnered with the California Health Care Foundation, a

nonprofit advocacy group to help the local groups educate patients and doctors, learn

effective addiction treatments and provide other services. It takes a village (Smith).

Californian doctors are also now prescribing medication to help combat addiction and wean

addicts off of drugs. Narcan, overdose antidote naloxone, can now be sold without a prescription

and distributed to drug afflicted communities. Some schools and law enforcement agencies are

now equipped with Narran. State data reports that, over the last year, the volume of prescribed

opioids decreased, while the number of people prescribed medication that combat addiction

increased. In addition, more than $50 million in federal grants went towards improving data

collection and toxicology testing in California. The money also upgraded the prescription

monitoring system and other things to support counties’ efforts to combat opioid addiction. This
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exemplifies how the addiction epidemic requires effort from everyone in the community: state

officials, legislatures, and doctors. Addicts cannot possibly recover by themselves. If everyone

does their part, the war on drugs can be won.

A study done in Punjab, India underscores the role of family relationships and how they

can affect addiction. “It has been observed that children in drug-abuse afflicted families become

the first causality in multiple ways. It is not only that assistance for attaining their full potential is

missing in such homes but delay in unfolding of their normal psychological process, sometimes

affecting them to the extent of their puny existence” (Sharma). This shows parents who already

battle drug addiction often inflict these problems onto their children, making addiction an endless

cycle. Minors are doomed from the beginning, negatively affected psychologically and unable to

grow to their full potential in junked homes.

“Parents [of children not afflicted with addiction] indicate they denote [a] good amount

of time and energy to give direction to the child. These are the attributes of [a healthy]

family relationship, while parents [of children facing addiction] reflected in their neglect

and rejection and withdrawing attitudes toward children, [characterizing] the [unhealthy]

dynamics of family relationships in drug afflicted families.”

This quote accentuates the importance of parents’ roles in their children’s lives. Children of

negligent parents are more likely to fall to addiction than children of attentive parents. To combat

these issues, communities should offer readily available services helping educate parents about

how to raise their children on a path to success. Education should include what is detrimental and

discouraging to children, how to motivate children without taking control, how to relieve stress

during difficult times, and how to recognize drug addiction and problematic behavior. In

addition, teachers at school should help students from drug inflicted families recognize right
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choices from wrong, distract and motivate them by getting them in school programs, and let

them know that they are there for them. During adolescence, it is necessary teens feel supported

and believed in. They need to feel like they have people behind them so they don’t turn to drugs

for support.

British writer Johann Hari argues a lack of healthy human relationships is a main cause of

addiction. From his many years of research, Hari believes society’s logic is based off inaccurate,

old-fashioned experiments done in the 1920s. Scientists took a rat and put it in a cage with

nothing but two water bottles: one of regular water and one laced with heroine. In each

experiment, the rat always overdosed and killed itself off fairly quickly (Alexander). In the

1970s, however, Canadian psychologist Bruce Alexander argued, “Putting such a creature in

solitary confinement would be the equivalent of doing the same thing to a human being. Solitary

confinement drives people crazy; if prisoners in solitary have the chance to take mind-numbing

drugs, they do” (Alexander). So he and some colleagues at Simon Fraser University redid this

experiment, except they gave these rats friends to play with, tunnels to scamper down, and tons

of cheese to eat and called it “Rat Park.” Contrastingly, in this “Rat Park,” the rats hardly used

the water laced with heroine and never overdosed (Alexander). Johann Hari also offers a

comparison to a human experiment going on at the same time: The Vietnam War. Over twenty

percent of American troops were using heroine (Hari). People back home feared when these

troops come home, the streets would be overrun with junkies. However, when heroine-using

soldiers were followed back home, “the Archives of General Psychiatry did a really detailed

study, and what happened to them? It turns out they didn’t go to rehab. They didn’t go into

withdrawal. Ninety-five percent of them just stopped” (Hari). The soldiers simply used drugs to

escape from the day-to-day war horrors. When soldiers were reunited with their families, they
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had no need for heroin. This evidence suggests the importance of family and community

relationships in decreasing addiction rates.

Recovery should focus more on rehabilitation and less on incarceration. To tackle

addiction, the nation has criminalized drugs and incarcerates drug users. However, prohibition

has only created more issues: “Countries that operate ultra-prohibitionist policies have very high

rates of HIV infection amongst injecting users. Hepatitis C rates amongst users in the UK are

increasing substantially” (“10 Reasons to Legalize All Drugs”). Incarceration doesn’t prove to

effectively deter crime either.

Prisons are good for punishing criminals and keeping them off the street, but prison

sentences (particularly long sentences) are unlikely to deter future crime. Prisons actually

may have the opposite effect: Inmates learn more effective crime strategies from each

other, and time spent in prison may desensitize many to the threat of future

imprisonment. (Nagin)

In prison, addicts become acquainted with other criminals, scheme, and learn better tactics.

Nagin also expresses once someone has been in jail once, he or she is often not afraid to go back

to jail. To top it all off, imprisoning juveniles also decreases their chances of going to college,

getting employed by a high paying job, and settling down and starting a family. Because these

individuals are deprived of these opportunities, they turn to crime and drugs. Prohibition and

incarceration have only resulted in stigmatization and marginalization of addicts; they prove only

to be the beginning of an endless cycle. Communities should stop using this system that clearly

isn’t working. Instead of spending money putting addicts in jail, communities should put that

money towards helping them rebuild their lives.

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Portugal has set an example for America to follow. In 1999, Portugal was in a crisis.

Nearly one percent of its population was heroin addicts, and its drug-related AIDS deaths were

the highest in the EU (Specter). Seeing that their punitive system was not working, Portugal did

something no one expected it to: it decriminalized all drugs, from cannabis to heroin. Portugal

doesn’t arrest anyone found with possession of anything considered less than a ten-day supply of

drugs; rather, drug offenders receive a citation and are ordered to appear before the Commission

for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, which is made up of each a legal, social, and

psychological experts. Most cases have no penalty. Those who repeatedly come before the

panels are directed towards treatment, which includes motivational counseling and opiate

substitution therapy (Aleem). They also created a huge program creating jobs and providing

microloans for addicts. Portugal’s main focus was to make sure drug users had a new sense of

purpose. The European Union’s 2016 figures are remarkable:

The rate of new HIV infections in Portugal has fallen precipitously since 2001, the year

its law took effect, declining from 1,016 cases to only 56 in 2012. Overdose deaths

decreased from 80 the year that decriminalization was enacted to only 16 in 2012. In the

US, by comparison, more than 14,000 people died in 2014 from prescription opioid

overdoses alone. Portugal's current drug-induced death rate, three per million residents, is

more than five times lower than the European Union's average of 17.3. (Oakford)

Evidently, putting money towards rehabilitation is much more effective than putting it towards

incarceration. While legalization is a step in the right direction, the most crucial step is

reconnecting addicts with society.

Located in Pennsylvania and Florida, Retreat Premier Addiction Treatment Centers

redefines drug recovery in America. Rather than only focusing on eliminating drugs from
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individuals’ lives, Peter Schorr created facilities that also provide various forms of recreational

therapy:

Holistic therapies are a definite highlight. You will find patients cooking spectacular

dishes in culinary therapy, horseback riding in equine therapy, and digging in the soil in

gardening therapy. (“Recovery Redefined: Inside Retreat Premier Addiction Treatment

Centers, Palm Beach”)

This is to help addicts find new hobbies that could offer them the pleasure they're looking for in

drugs. Each treatment strategy differs to fit each person; therefore, addicts are more engaged and

invested in their progress. Facilities even have high quality amenities: spa-quality linens and

country-club dining. This helps addicts' main focus to be on recovery and helps addicts not to

feel isolated or hated, but genuinely cared of and a part of society. At Retreat Premier Addiction

Treatment Centers, addicts feel like real human beings just trying to get better. In addition, the

centers recognize that addiction often coexists with mental illness or happens as a result of a

traumatic experience, so clinical specialists and psychologists treat and help addicts with that

also. These facilities put an emphasis on rehabilitation over anything.

Increasing education and awareness at school will prevent future addicts from also falling

into addiction. A study done in Mohali, Punjab demonstrates the impact of drug awareness on

attendance at addiction clinics. As substance abuse increasingly became a problem in rural and

urban India, outreach clinics had to determine how to act quickly. Through organizing a “camp”,

they were able to get more addicts to receive help. This “camp” was a retreat for a few hours on

a Sunday morning, which enlightened the community about treatment options. The camp also

clarified myths and misconceptions to dispel any animosity and stigmatization surrounding

addicts. To study the effect of drug awareness, they recorded the number of patients at local
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treatment clinic, Kharar Civil Hospital, before and after the camp. “Our study shows a positive

impact of drug awareness and treatment camps held in the community on outpatient attendance

at a community outreach clinic. The clinic attendance increased nearly 1½ times” (Giri). As

shown in this article, addicts are more likely to utilize services offered locally if they are made

more aware of them. Also, addicts and the community are more likely to know what measures to

take because professionals illuminate what is true and not true, and what to look out for. These

“camps” increase community cognizance and understanding, therefore dispelling the stigmatism

and animosity surrounding addicts. Another great benefit is they are low in cost while still

significantly increasing the number of addicts helped.

Symbiosis Convent High School in Thane, India also shows how to increase drug

education and awareness. Schools nationwide are experiencing the devastating effects of drug

addiction. Symbiosis Convent High School responded to growing concern by holding a day-long

program called “Love Life, Kick Drugs.”

We decided to hold an awareness session by calling in police officials and drug

rehabilitation experts to talk to our class VIII to XII students about how these easily

available drugs harm their health, mental capabilities and even family life in the long run.

We even invited students and parents from 10 others schools as they too have been facing

the same issues. (“Over 2,000 folks attend seminar on drug abuse in Mumbra faculty”)

In result, two thousand people, adults and children vowed to do their part in the community to

decrease addiction rates and ultimately stop the epidemic. Schools in America need to take an

initiative in efforts to decrease addiction.

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Police officials pointed out that if initiatives are taken at a local level and school level,

drug addiction [could] drop. ‘Schools have a huge role in shaping the mindsets of their

students,’ said police inspector Kishor Pasalkar. (“Over 2,000 folks attend seminar on

drug abuse in Mumbra faculty”)

Pasalkar underlines the schools’ unique ability to mold hundreds of adolescents’ minds. With

great power comes great responsibility. Faculty cannot encourage or even tolerate peer pressure

or addiction. They also cannot punish students facing addiction, but direct them towards much

needed help. Schools may start with just teaching students soft skills such as resilience to help

them fight the urge to do drugs, even when facing difficulties and challenges.

A family in Pickerington, Ohio shares and educates students after their own experience of

losing their son to heroin addiction. After Tyler Campbell passed of overdose, his father Wayne

Campbell was overcome with grief and disbelief. During Tyler’s funeral, others in the

community came forward to share stories of their loved ones facing addiction.

Eventually someone suggested going into the schools and telling Tyler's story. That's how

our foundation, Tyler's Light, started. I left my job to devote myself full-time to raising

money for drug education and awareness and talking to students. It's still hard for me to

talk about losing my son, but in the four years since his death, I've made presentations to

more than 100,000 kids. (Campbell)

During his battle, Tyler told his parents that he and his teammates took painkillers: “We

confronted Tyler. He told us his teammates shared painkillers like they were candy. ‘Everyone's

taking them,’ he said. ‘It's no big deal. I need them to play football’" (Campbell). Had the

students had been educated of the consequences of using opiates, this may not have happened.

Wayne Campbell affirms the need to increase drug education: “Drug addiction was nothing to be
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ashamed of. It was like cancer, a disease no one was immune to. Battling it in secret only made it

more powerful. We needed to be open about it, to be there for each other. That was the only way

to beat it” (Campbell). The Campbell family wants to make sure no one goes through what they

went through. They also wanted to create a support system for others who unfortunately can

relate. Other schools and families should work to educate adolescents to recognize signs of

addiction and how to handle peers facing addiction. The importance of drug education and

awareness is undeniable.

Strengthening community and family relationships, focusing more on rehabilitation, and

increasing drug education and awareness will decrease addiction rate. People have the

responsibility to create an environment and society that will help addicts. This can be easily done

if everyone makes the commitment of being more compassionate toward drug users and not

isolating them. People should also take the initiative to remind addicts in their life that they love

them, and will stay up until three in the morning-if they have to-to remind them that they’re not

alone.