The Joseph Rowentree Foundation have been asking what are today’s social evils? One of the answers they’ve had back suggests that people think that drugs and alcohol should feature.
They are asking for the public to leave comments and say:
We are particularly interested in hearing about any possible solutions you have in mind.
The Independent, Metro and Guardian have coverage.
Filed under: alcohol, illegal drugs , JRF, today's social evils
I think that evil is the wrong word, an epidemic of sickness, mental, physical and spiritual sickness would be more accurate.
People are disillusioned; a surfeit of material gains has done little or nothing for their peace of mind, anxieties and desperation. In 1899 William James said, ‘the trouble with modern man is that he is too anxious to stressed’.
We live in a ‘me first’ age where the gospel has evolved into do unto others before they do unto you. The social learning theories, that drug and alcohol use is the outcome of social deprivation have proven to be flawed. Go to a few NA, or AA meetings in South London and one might form that opinion, repeat the exercise in Weybridge and one would form a different opinion.
The explosion in drug and alcohol use is an expression of dissatisfaction with life as it is, with the way one feels; to alleviate a feeling of being ‘down’; to enhance a feeling of enjoyment. Spiritual poverty, not economic poverty is the root cause; people are seeking an effortless, altered state of consciousness, somewhere along their search they were introduced to mind altering drugs, which for a while made them feel better. Unfortunately some now use them because they feel unable to cope with their feelings without them.
Our drug treatment strategy reinforces that belief, with the vast majority of those in treatment in the public sector, being prescribed substitute or prescription drugs, instead of treatment that can deal with their mental and physical distress. The addiction, not the addict is being treated; in some cases where heroin prescription is prevalent, feeding the addiction.
Our drug laws are poorly enforced, with dealers seemingly plying their trade with impunity. Seizures in relation to the quantities of drugs on the streets are abysmal; it is difficult to believe that the huge trade in drugs could exist without some form of connivance from the highest places in the land.
Our children are being ‘educated’ about drugs, to enable them to make an ‘informed choice’; translated, they are being told how to use drugs safely. All drugs have side affects; addictive psycho active drugs have more. In short they are being told that they can use drugs.
Influential bodies such as the Royal Society of Arts hypothesise that the ‘vast majority of people can use psycho active substances without harming themselves or others. Worse still, they claim there is ‘substantial evidence’ to prove that is the case. The ‘substantial evidence’ in this case, is nothing more than the answers to a few nebulous questions from the British Crime Survey of 47,000 people out of a population of 60 million; anecdotal evidence that should be laughed out of countenance, leave alone considered. In short through messages such as this and other more subliminal messages, people are being encouraged to use drugs and alcohol.
The claim that the legalisation of drugs would reduce crime is a lie. The world’s cocaine and heroin supplies are controlled by organised crime, does anyone seriously believe that because a government, or governments agree to decriminalise drugs that those crime syndicates are simply going to relinquish their stranglehold on supplies of raw product, transportation and processing? Why on earth would they? They would agree through front companies to supply whatever they decided, to the legal industry whilst continuing to selling the rest as they do now, much in the same way that black market cigarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs are sold. What would possess them to relinquish such a profitable business? Legalisation would not stop them selling drugs to ‘underage users’ now more than it has stopped outlets selling alcohol to them.
The Government’s so called alcohol strategy could have been a promotion for the alcoholic drinks industry, with the message on every page that ‘more needs to be done to encourage sensible drinking’; a contradiction in terms since just one pint of beer affects our judgement centres and loosens our inhibitions. Rather than take steps to curtail alcohol consumption, in the same way as smoking has been restricted, there has never been greater availability, or more widespread advertising. Almost without exception, every TV programme has alcohol placement; it seems that regardless of the occasion, of sorrow or joy, a drink is indispensable.
If there is an evil element to all of this, it is coming from those who for their own ends advocate the use of psycho active substances. That evil is in the way people are being manipulated into believing they can use such substances and get away with it. The evil that speaks of ‘free choice’ when all the evidence points to the fact that many who were manipulated have lost their freedom of choice, together with their dignity, and even the ability to control their bodily functions.
The government vehemently state they have no intention of legalising drugs, the truth is because of our commitments to the EU and the UN, they are unable to, but in reality that is exactly what they’re doing with increased prescribing of substitutes and heroin, together with the recommendation for prescribing cocaine by nurses and pharmacists, in the full knowledge that diversionary abuse is unavoidable.
Our society is now regressing back to the 18th century, where alcohol and other mind altering substances were legal and available, where ‘footpads’ roamed the streets because of a lack of police presence, visiting violence, whenever and wherever they saw fit. We speak of human rights; here in the UK we have ‘no go areas’, suburban streets, where gangs high on drugs and alcohol indulge in vandalism and violence, and where the sanctity of life is held in little regard.
In other parts of the world such as Sudan, state sponsored drug crazed troops have murdered over 200,000 people, raped far more, and over 2 million people have been forced to leave their homes. In Zimbabwe, we have so called ‘war veterans’, in reality, young people high on local brew, mercilessly beating people who are seeking democracy, our response? More influential bodies expressing disgust and dismay, in their professed concerns about the rights of drugs users; in short encouraging people to use those substances that destroy civilised behaviour, and eventually those who become addicted.
Yes evil is the cause of the problem, disease insanity and death is the outcome.
I’m just not sure that is anywhere near the truth, Peter, other than in bizarre cases.
Talking to young people, from across the country, my impression is that the majority of their drug education comes with a very clear message that taking drugs will be harmful and is very strongly frowned on by the adults delivering it.
But, it is certainly true that some drug education in this country tries to minimise harm as well as preventing uptake. But that seems to me to fall a long way short of condoning drug use amongst children and young people.
Oh, its very much near the truth.Just how does one reduce/minimise the harm that has already occurred? How does one prevent the harm that occurs with use?
We have already seen the disastrous outcome of so called sex education. If it was intended to prevent the spread of disease and reduce unwanted pregnancies, why are both at an all time high.
I’m all for education, but to indicate to young people, implicitly or otherwise that drugs can be used safely is unacceptable. Much in the same way that teaching 10 year olds the art of fellatio, has little or nothing to do with birth control. Please don’t say it hasn’t happened there are a number of incidents when certain sexual practices have been included in sex education, and when horrified parents discovered what was going on,, they were withdrawn and parents told somehow a ‘mistake’ had been made, and it should not have been included, but of course now its withdrawn.
Sorry, but its happened to frequently to be error.
I don’t know enough about SRE or sexual health amongst young people to make any informed comment. But, while you may be right about unwanted pregnancies it’s also worth bearing in mind that according to the ONS teenage conceptions are over 5% lower than in 1998 and is now at its lowest levels for 20 years.
Where I hope we have common ground is that drug educationalists need to be careful not to condone drug taking. And again it seems plain to me that the young people I’ve spoken to and examples of drug education I’ve seen don’t give that impression.