We must change popular depiction of drug use
Growing public concern over the tragic opioid crisis affecting the Cowichan Valley, Canada and the United States fails to address several points.
One of them, now self-evident in community after community, is that increased crime, vagrancy and discarded needles are a real concern for families in areas that never had to deal with them before. What did people expect? Introducing this element near or in residential areas is now having a telling effect.
Discarding these concerns as “heartless” is both myopic and partisan. They are real, legitimate and reasonable. What are parents and residents to do, tell their children, “Just ignore that man sweetie, and try not to step on the needles?” Are we now to accept that as a normal state of affairs?
For the real source of this, however, we need only look at our own popular culture. For 50 years now we have glorified drugs and drug use. From Easy Rider to Trainspotting we have presented drugs and drug use as some sort of romantic adventure, the territory and activity of the “chic” and “with it” element of society. But the truth is that drugs bring only misery and degradation.
One of the few Hillary Clinton comments I have been able to respect is her statement that the drug trade, a source of expense and tragedy for both Mexico and the U.S., is a product of our “insatiable demand for illegal drugs.” At one time such a demand would have been unimaginable. Tragically, it is now considered normal, and by capitulating to drugs as a now unchangeable part of life’s landscape we only make it worse.
When we change the public and entertainment industry’s narrative about the romance of drug use we will begin to make some headway. In the meantime, I see no reason why children should have to be subjected to the danger of needles, and have to avoid areas they once played as they become “no go” zones.
Perry Foster
Duncan