Addicts Aren’t Paying Attention to the Drug War

July 9, 2012

Most Americans care where and how the products they buy are created. From tennis shoes to toys to cars, many people attempt to buy things that are created in such a way that no one gets hurt and no civil rights are violated. Not so when it comes to addiction. As The Fix recently pointed out, few addicts dependent upon heroin, marijuana, cocaine and other drugs that are smuggled into the country know – or care – that their purchase goes to support a multi-billion-dollar institution that causes thousands of deaths in other countries around the world every year.

According to the article, more than 50,000 people have lost their lives in Mexico alone due to the ongoing drug war. Because supplying addicted Americans with their drug of choice is such big business, powerful and dangerous drug cartels are battling each other for control of the industry and, as a result, innocent people often get hurt and deaths are common.

US Addicts Are Not Concerned About the Drug War

Is the cost of their drug addiction a concern for those living with an active addiction here in the US? Rarely, if ever. Drug addicts are notorious for being entirely self-absorbed. More specifically, they are concerned with little more than maintaining their addiction, avoiding withdrawal symptoms, and squashing cravings. There is no room for political interest, and no time to sympathize with the plight of a culture that is so removed from their own. Often, it isn’t until the recovery process has set in that many addicts realize how their drug of choice got to them and where it came from. It’s one of the many sad costs of untreated drug addiction and yet another example of how people are hurt when one person continues to live with an active drug dependence.

Remember, however, that this indifference is a symptom of the addiction and not a sign of a moral failing or personality flaw. Drug addiction causes people to do things they later regret in all areas of their life – indifference to the consequences of their actions is just one of the many signs that medical treatment is necessary.

Without US Addiction, the Drug War Ends

It sounds simplistic, but if there were no addiction in the United States, there would be no drug war in South America. Unfortunately, the problem of addiction and drug abuse is so deeply dyed into the fabric of the world that it won’t be removed overnight. However, there is no reason to believe that it’s a miracle that can’t happen – one person at a time.

If addiction is a problem for you or someone in your life, make the changes necessary to live a life of peace. Call now to discuss your options in addiction treatment here at Michael’s House.