It is disturbing that the reports of narcotic overdose deaths have increased to more than one per day in Maine. What is the reason for this? A number are addicts, others are those starting to use and who made a mistake.
A person’s habitual use of drugs is a self-imposed practice — entirely voluntary. People made a decision and followed through with it. There are those who claim medical practitioners caused some of it with liberal prescription practices, but that cause is a very minor number, if at all, because of pharmaceutical controls.
Increasing amounts of taxpayers’ funds are being spent to help those individuals. Now, voters made recreational marijuana available — a known gateway drug. An increasing population is falling into habitual use. Where is their self-control and ability to say no? No one is making them do this, but they do not realize that the result could be the loss of health, a job and friends and family.
A lack of information plays a role when a person starts to use narcotics. No public information campaign has developed similar to the anti-smoking, anti-alcohol, and the anti-obesity movements. The usual series of events are increased taxpayer-funded treatment programs, reaching the level of unaffordability, an increased number of citizens with tragic results, and then a public outcry to change the laws and clean up the mess.
An intense public information program is needed now, outlining the consequences of habitual narcotics.
Thomas Shields, Auburn
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
