Drug abuse is not a crime. It is a habit no different than cigarette smoking. There are techniques and policies that have been set in place to help the habitual cigarette smoker, so why can there not be techniques and policies set up to help the habitual user of drugs? When we think of the drug abuser, we have to separate that person from the drug dealer as well as setting them aside as to what type of drugs they are using.
Most people think of drug users as those who use marijuana, cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy and the like. These are drug abusers but do not forget about those people who abuse prescription drugs as well. They can be termed drug abusers and they need as much help as the illegal drug user.
For many years, the country was probably overflowing with drug rehabilitation centers. There seemed to be one on every corner. Most were created by local and state government agencies and funded by the same.
However, due to the current economic standing of many states, many of these rehab centers have had to close their doors. This is the same for mental health institutions as well. This is a shame. Why?
Because what happens is those drug abusers who were in these centers had to be placed, most likely, back on the streets. This also probably meant that they found their way back into the underworld of the illegal drug business and headed back to prison.
Speaking of prison, this is not what I would term a rehabilitation center. You see, I have an older brother who really messed his life up by becoming an abuser of drugs as well as involved in drug dealing. He is not really reformed but he has not been doing the drugs anymore either.
He has been in and out of jail, and from what I have gathered and learned, there is little to no counseling available for drug abusers. I could be wrong about this, but at least in my state, I am certain that most prison systems and jail houses do not have any way to rehabilitate drug abusers.
So, for a while prison might actually be a deterrent for drug abusers to return to their life, but when released, most of the time, they find themselves right back into the mix and end right back into the prison system.
So, one thing to begin, is to tell the drug dealers on the streets that if caught, whether it is the first time or a repeated offense, they will be incarcerated for a life sentence. Even if murder is not involved, drug dealing is still a problem and a growing one in the United States, so, it has to be stopped once and for all.
Second, rehabilitation centers for drug abusers should be re-established. I am not a proponent of government big spending, but drug abuse is still a growing concern and many people are seeking help and have nowhere to turn. These rehabilitation centers have to be more than just voluntary.
They have to be mandatory and drug dealers have to be assigned to a medical doctor or a counselor and be released only when the drug abuser has been cleared of their addiction.
Third, drug abusers must attend continuing education courses paid by their respective states. Continuing education courses can be anything ranging from the dangers of drug abuse to family counseling.
Fourth, drug abusers, whether still working or not, should be allowed to keep their jobs or be given assistance in finding work once they are clean. Drug abusers should not be considered “lepers” and be given a chance to return to the work force.
These are only a few ideas and policies that can be implemented or re-implemented. It is up to the individual drug abuser to want help and to seek it.