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Methamphetamine Update

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Mercury-Register (CA)

At the Methamphetamine Strike Force we separate the war on addiction into three parts: prevention, treatment and enforcement.

Prevention is education that discourages the onset of drug use and promotes recovery for those who are already entangled in the mire of self-defeating choices. Treatment helps those who want a better life than drug use can provide. Enforcement generally refers to the part law enforcement plays in providing interventions with teeth.

Rarely does an addicted person "suddenly" have a desire to become a rational and productive citizen. Addiction becomes a multi-dimensional stranglehold on a person's consciousness: blunting reason, chasing away the voice of our inner spirit and clouding the view of the damage we do to ourselves and others. This is what makes enforcement such a vital piece of the effort to reduce addiction in our community.

Although the self-talk of an addicted person often includes the notion of drug abuse being a victimless crime, this is not the case. The cost of drug abuse to society drives up the cost of everything for everyone else.

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