In today's world most of us know the trials caused by drug abuse, whether it be through personal experience or the experiences of someone you know. And one of the things that comes with these experiences are a list of excuses that either justify a user's addiction or paint them as a helpless victim. What I want to know is if there are any excuses that can justify drug abuse? Are abusers truly just innocent victims? And if the user is not to blame, then who is?
Thanks for your help--
Matt
11 comments:
Although I believe that many drug abusers are well aware of their decisions, I also believe that some people who are addicted to drugs are addicted against their will. If a mother snorts cocaine while bearing a child, the baby may become addicted to the drug as well because it has already been introduced to the blood stream. Under those circumstances, yes, I think the addict is an innocent victim.
However, not all addicts are hooked because of their mother's choices. Some are hooked because of their own mistakes. Personally, I have a very hard time sympathisizing for someone who got addicted by saying they were just going to try this drug just one time. In these regards, the addict has no one to blame but his or herself.
Cassandra Griffith
With all the information available to us, I find it hard to accept any excuse for getting into drugs. When you make a decision, you take the information you have and weigh the consequences of each possible decision. Knowing the effects of drugs and seeing how they ruin people's lives--over and over again--how can anyone justify drug abuse to themselves? Sure, everyone has problems (some more than others), but isn't it obvious that drugs are only going to create more problems? With all the information we have, how can anyone claim to be deceived into trying drugs?
Obviously it's your own fault if you were a risk-taker in your teen years and thought it would be cool to try dope and now are experiencing problems as an adult. One example of a helpless victim is you could become addicted to prescription drugs that you have been on for several years and all of the sudden you don't need the presciption. That's when your doctor should help provide some kind of rehab or other way to relieve your withdrawal. In this case, it's a no fault situation, because the doctor that prescribed the medication was merely helping the person, and the patient was only trying to get better.
I can't think of any reasons that would justify addiction to an illegal drug. I do think that there are reasons that help explain why someone became addicted to a drug. The reasons can be helpful in understanding and in treating the addict once he or she decides they want to quit using. Taking time to find out what got the addict where they are is not the same as justifying the drug use to me. I think that if we don't try to find out what causes illegal drug use, we can't help cure the problem.
While I don't think that drug users are always bad people, there is no justification for it. The only situation I could think of that would be justifiable is if an older sibling pressured their VERY young brother or sister into trying drugs before they have had proper anti-drug education. I think the D.A.R.E program is in the fifth grade though, so they would have to be reaaally young. The world is a messed up place though, so you never know. As far as "coping" with a bad childhood or abuse or a traumatic experience is concerned, that is never an excuse. It provides a reason for the addiction, but it does not justify it.
I don't think that drug abusers should have excuses because they know what they are doing is wrong whether they want to accept that or not. I think that they are victims in their own game. They are the ones who choose to do this drug regardless of who talked them into it.
I think one of the only reasons I can come up with to justify drug abuse would be doctor prescribed. What I mean is when a person has a operation or something wrong with them that causes pain and the doctor has them on pain medication. Some times the person gets dependent and ends up addicted to the medication. Who's at fault? The doctor or the patient? The patient was only trying to deal with the pain the best they could. In a case like I just described I guess the abuser could be an innocent victim. Again in the case I described the blame could possibly go on the doctor.
When it comes to illegal drugs, crack, meth, I can't think of any justifiable excuses. In most cases the person who is about to use the drug has to put the pipe to their mouth or the needle in their arm. They made the decision and have no one to blame other than them selves.
I beleive that 80% of drug user have no excuse for not seeking out some sort of help.But some people get hooked on pain killers like oxycodent,or codeine after they are priscribed to them after an injury and doctors do not provide them the proper programs to ween them off.
George
I think if you do drugs, and you get addicted it's the drug users own fault. I don't think there any excuses for using drugs they are not innocent people. They got their self in these situations so i don't feel one bit sorry for any one of them. I've seen a lot of my friends get addicted to cocaine and it's not a good thing. I seen them picking the floor for it to make sure they didn't drop any it's horrible.
There are no excuses for abusing drugs, you are taught in schools that drugs are harmful to your health and have been shown what the after math is when drugs are used. But, if your mom was doing drugs while bregnant, then that's another story. But the ones who do make the decision to do drugs have no excuse.
Chris Waters
There is no good whether be any kind of excuse to why some one would abuse drugs. Some chooses to do the drug in the first place becaues their family is falling apart or they don't feel loved any more. There is no excuse to start abusing drugs. When some one is doing drugs they know they are doing something illegal and bad to their health.
Ben Legner (1:00)
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