Editor’s Notes: Drug and alcohol use

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

I’ve been thinking about a problem that seems to grow in use and abuse nearly every day. Drug and alcohol use is the cause of more crime and family disharmony than anything else.
I recently interviewed a couple who had been married for 71 years. One of the pieces of advice he gave was to stay away from alcohol. He said alcohol is and has been a major scourge in the world.
What a waste of time and effort and money. All the time spent drinking could be used more productively. All the money that could be spent for more worthy endeavors. When did man get so messed up that he needs all these substances just to get through the day.
They need coffee to get up and get them going. They need cigarettes to help with stress. They need pills to wake up. They need pills to go to sleep. They need pills for all manner of ailments. I just don’t understand what has happened to our world. People under the influence of drugs and alcohol commit many crimes.
Ninety-five percent, (or higher) of the burglaries/thefts in our county stem from a burglary when someone is searching for drugs or stealing items to sell to buy drugs.
What can be done? Where do we begin to solve these problems? Since when did a pill or a drink become the answer? How do we relearn to solve our problems from the inside out and not the outside in?
I think the secular media has had a great deal to do with the popularization of and glamorization of drugs and alcohol. This has been a great disservice to our youth. These ads of beautiful young people in a bar having a seemingly great time and having a lot of friends is so misleading.
The ads never show the downside. They never show the people vomiting by the curb on the outside of the bar. They never show the people in court facing charges of drunk driving or worse. ‘
I am saddened by the events of the world and I hope that each one of us within our sphere of influence can do whatever it takes to help those around us avoid drugs and alcohol.
It’s not fun. It’s not pretty. It ruins lives and families. It destroys individuals. It fills the courts. It causes untold pain and suffering to society. One day at a time we can make a difference. Let’s get started.