Viewpoints
No to legalization
By Starr Small
May 11, 2006
Thursday PM
As a former drug addict, I can speak from experience that you
don't realize when you're falling into the world of drugs and
that you're becoming addicted until it's already happened. Once
you're there, the choice to say no is gone. Being so "well
versed" on it, doesn't mean anything until you've been in
that position. There is no such thing as a "responsible
drug user" because the drugs you refer to are irresponsible
in themselves. It is impossible to control yourself once the
drugs have changed you, and things that seemed completely irrational
when you were sober, are a great idea, once you've taken those
drugs.
Catlin, have you ever used any of the drugs you're talking about
in your letters? If you haven't, and you've obviously never suffered
from addiction, even if you've used the drugs, you shouldn't
speak so much of something you know so little about. Seeing someone
do a drug and having the experience yourself is a whole seperate
world. You have no idea if that person continues to do the drug
while you're gone, or how close they are to actually being addicted.
They can promise themselves every day that "Today will be
my last" or "I'm finally done with it" and as
soon as it's available, it becomes "This is the last time"
and it starts another vicious cycle.
From personal experience, I can say I made those promises to
myself time and again. Every day was my last and every line was
going to be the final one. You can only continue like that before
you're completely burned out and you've hit rock bottom. You've
lost everyone you were close to, and the people you are close
to now, you can't trust and you cannot turn to for help, because
they're in the same situation, and haven't realized the problem.
It's really hard to admit you have a problem, and you need help,
for many reasons. Whether it's being afraid of getting in trouble
or spending time in rehab, or the way people's opinions will
change when they find out what's going on with you.
Coming off a drug hurts. It hurts so bad that it's better to
stay on it. Everytime you're ready to come off, that feeling
kicks in, and it seems a better idea to not quit using. Drugs
are a powerful thing. They take over your brain, your personality,
your everything. I nearly lost the most important person in my
life because of drugs.
Legalizing these drugs would do no more than make it available
to a wider range of people, a wider range of victims for these
drugs to get hold of. No age limit or restriction could stop
the damage these do to you, and the pain they cause everyone
around you. And even after you've quit using, they continue to
affect you, and many people that spend so long abusing drugs,
never fully recover from the affects they have on their brain
and body. It's hard to be happy again, you're unable to remember
entire chunks of your days, your life.
Legalizing these drugs would
be wrong, more people would be using, and it only takes several
times to become addicted if you make it past the first.
Starr Small
Ketchikan, AK - USA
About: Resident of Ketchikan
speaking from personal experience.
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