theblackestbook
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2014
- Messages
- 3
I'm asking for some feedback on an opinion piece I've written on the general publics perceptions towards drugs. I've had to limit it to 800 words, so I've been unable to properly go into too much detail.
Do you have any suggestions on what I can include, or whether I should be coming from a different angle all together?
Also what can drug users do on an individual level to remove some of the stigma?
Georgina Bartter died after taking Ecstasy in Sydney last weekend. This heartbreaking and all too common tragedy reminds us there is a long road ahead before we have an adequate understanding of drug use in Australia.
Perhaps the broader tragedy of this situation is that it takes something as confronting as the death of a young girl to invoke a discussion. It’s time to open up a dialogue about recreational drug use in an effort to remove some the unjustified stigma surrounding it and gain a more balanced understanding.
We can no longer remain ignorant. We need to begin to think of drugs in realistic terms. They are a huge part of our society; legal or otherwise, and they are not going to go away.
The issue of recreational drug use and it’s potential dangers is blatantly tiptoed around in the media. The occasional story on the rising epidemic of methamphetamine use, the illicit drug trade on Silk Road - it is simply not enough to provide an accurate view of drug use and it’s real impacts.
The media defines the lens in which we view the world. With the majority of content produced on illicit drug use being negative, it’s no surprise that public perception has been shaped on the notion that drugs are entirely negative. This creates a negative feedback loop. Social discussion is generated from the news we are provided. Until we see a more realistic portrayal of the average drug user, we will struggle to see drugs as anything but shameful and criminalistic. Illicit drugs need to be seen as a health issue the same as alcohol; the legality means very little when looking at this from a public health perspective.
Drug use is common, and commonly misunderstood. There are a huge number of regular drug users that are not addicted to drugs. They lead healthy, happy, and successful lives without their drug use becoming an issue. They contribute to the community, pay taxes, and prepare your taxes. They teach your children, service your car, represent you in legal matters, and provide you with financial advice.
Well-adjusted drug users are afraid to speak out of their experiences for the fear they will be unfairly judged. Conversely, individuals battling drug addiction feel ashamed - they have been consistently reminded by society that if you have a drug problem, then you are the problem. Better education is needed to help remove some of the stigma to allow an open and honest dialogue in where we have the perspectives of all the parties that matter; occasional drug users, addicts, lawmakers, health services, police, and community based organisations.
The upsetting reality is revealed whenever a young person loses their life to an accidental drug overdose. Families of the victims are often left wondering why their happy and well-adjusted child has experimented with drugs, however this reaction is a symptom of our perceptions. Good people take drugs. Happy and fulfilled people take drugs. It’s not always a result of something insidious. The scenario in where someone takes an Ecstasy pill and has a good time with their friends significantly outweighs one in which something goes horribly wrong.
Illicit Drugs expert Dr Fernando Caudevilla has garnered overwhelming support in the last 18 months by providing support to people on the underground website Silk Road. Operating under the pseudonym ‘DoctorX’ , his non-judgmental and unbiased approach to drug education has filled an important void. Support services like this need to exist in a legitimate capacity.
The world is collectively beginning to realise the importance of this issue and is taking steps towards a more sustainable solution. Decriminalisation removes the counter-effective culture of rebellion which attracts many people to drugs. Portugal, Spain, and Italy have all decriminalised possession of drugs for personal use to extremely positive results. A paper commissioned by the libertarian think-tank the Cato Institute found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined, and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled (Source .1)
North America is in the process of radically reforming their marijuana legislation, with four states and the District of Columbia have or are in the process of fully legalising it for recreational use. Again, the results prove to be positive. Four months after it was legalised in Colorado, sales amounted to $202 million, and burglaries and robberies were reduced by four and five percent respectively. (Source .2) The potential tax revenue that is generated by marijuana sales is extremely positive, and one can only hypothesise that it must far outweigh any costs associated with it’s negative impacts on public health.
Australia has recently flirted with the idea of researching the use of cannabis oil for medicinal purposes. This is a small, yet positive step in developing a better understanding of drugs, and the both negative and positive roles they play in our society.
Sources:
1.Szalavitz, Maia. "Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?" Time.com. Time Magazine, 26 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html>
2.Wallis, Daniel, Jill Seargeant, and Gunna Dickson. "Six Months after Marijuana Legalization: Colorado Tax Revenue Skyrockets as Crime Falls." Raw Story. Reuters, 03 July 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/six-months-after-marijuana-legalization-colorado-tax-revenue-skyrockets-as-crime-falls/>.
Do you have any suggestions on what I can include, or whether I should be coming from a different angle all together?
Also what can drug users do on an individual level to remove some of the stigma?
Georgina Bartter died after taking Ecstasy in Sydney last weekend. This heartbreaking and all too common tragedy reminds us there is a long road ahead before we have an adequate understanding of drug use in Australia.
Perhaps the broader tragedy of this situation is that it takes something as confronting as the death of a young girl to invoke a discussion. It’s time to open up a dialogue about recreational drug use in an effort to remove some the unjustified stigma surrounding it and gain a more balanced understanding.
We can no longer remain ignorant. We need to begin to think of drugs in realistic terms. They are a huge part of our society; legal or otherwise, and they are not going to go away.
The issue of recreational drug use and it’s potential dangers is blatantly tiptoed around in the media. The occasional story on the rising epidemic of methamphetamine use, the illicit drug trade on Silk Road - it is simply not enough to provide an accurate view of drug use and it’s real impacts.
The media defines the lens in which we view the world. With the majority of content produced on illicit drug use being negative, it’s no surprise that public perception has been shaped on the notion that drugs are entirely negative. This creates a negative feedback loop. Social discussion is generated from the news we are provided. Until we see a more realistic portrayal of the average drug user, we will struggle to see drugs as anything but shameful and criminalistic. Illicit drugs need to be seen as a health issue the same as alcohol; the legality means very little when looking at this from a public health perspective.
Drug use is common, and commonly misunderstood. There are a huge number of regular drug users that are not addicted to drugs. They lead healthy, happy, and successful lives without their drug use becoming an issue. They contribute to the community, pay taxes, and prepare your taxes. They teach your children, service your car, represent you in legal matters, and provide you with financial advice.
Well-adjusted drug users are afraid to speak out of their experiences for the fear they will be unfairly judged. Conversely, individuals battling drug addiction feel ashamed - they have been consistently reminded by society that if you have a drug problem, then you are the problem. Better education is needed to help remove some of the stigma to allow an open and honest dialogue in where we have the perspectives of all the parties that matter; occasional drug users, addicts, lawmakers, health services, police, and community based organisations.
The upsetting reality is revealed whenever a young person loses their life to an accidental drug overdose. Families of the victims are often left wondering why their happy and well-adjusted child has experimented with drugs, however this reaction is a symptom of our perceptions. Good people take drugs. Happy and fulfilled people take drugs. It’s not always a result of something insidious. The scenario in where someone takes an Ecstasy pill and has a good time with their friends significantly outweighs one in which something goes horribly wrong.
Illicit Drugs expert Dr Fernando Caudevilla has garnered overwhelming support in the last 18 months by providing support to people on the underground website Silk Road. Operating under the pseudonym ‘DoctorX’ , his non-judgmental and unbiased approach to drug education has filled an important void. Support services like this need to exist in a legitimate capacity.
The world is collectively beginning to realise the importance of this issue and is taking steps towards a more sustainable solution. Decriminalisation removes the counter-effective culture of rebellion which attracts many people to drugs. Portugal, Spain, and Italy have all decriminalised possession of drugs for personal use to extremely positive results. A paper commissioned by the libertarian think-tank the Cato Institute found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined, and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled (Source .1)
North America is in the process of radically reforming their marijuana legislation, with four states and the District of Columbia have or are in the process of fully legalising it for recreational use. Again, the results prove to be positive. Four months after it was legalised in Colorado, sales amounted to $202 million, and burglaries and robberies were reduced by four and five percent respectively. (Source .2) The potential tax revenue that is generated by marijuana sales is extremely positive, and one can only hypothesise that it must far outweigh any costs associated with it’s negative impacts on public health.
Australia has recently flirted with the idea of researching the use of cannabis oil for medicinal purposes. This is a small, yet positive step in developing a better understanding of drugs, and the both negative and positive roles they play in our society.
Sources:
1.Szalavitz, Maia. "Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?" Time.com. Time Magazine, 26 Apr. 2009. Web. <http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html>
2.Wallis, Daniel, Jill Seargeant, and Gunna Dickson. "Six Months after Marijuana Legalization: Colorado Tax Revenue Skyrockets as Crime Falls." Raw Story. Reuters, 03 July 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/six-months-after-marijuana-legalization-colorado-tax-revenue-skyrockets-as-crime-falls/>.
).