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IN the old days, it used to be mostly alcohol that
young people indulged in. By “old days,” I mean fifty or more
years ago. In those days, kids went out and got drunk. Alcohol was
almost part of the rite of passage into adulthood. Young people
would somehow get their hands on beer even if they were underage and
drink with their friends.
Today, the times have changed.
Alcohol, though still the high of choice for the overwhelming number
of youths, now has ever growing competition from drugs. And the drug
of choice for most users is marijuana. Marijuana is everywhere
despite the efforts of law enforcers to stamp it out. There is just
too much demand for it to go away. If anything, marijuana use is
growing by the day. There is no question about this in my mind.
Although surveys are to be believed up to a point, the truth is that
most users do not like to admit it. So, whatever are the survey
numbers, you should add a lot more in order to get a realistic
figure.
The truth is that marijuana use
is not limited to the young people. Increasingly, older persons are
found to be users too. Youngsters of 20 and 30 years ago who used
and never stopped using are now in mid-life and still puffing away.
In my work with drug abusers,
marijuana users come in all ages. Just like the alcohol that stays
with drinkers over the years, so too does the drug use remain with
those who began using years ago and never got well. It is not
uncommon to encounter addicts who have been into drugs for 15 to 20
years.
Some people think that, given
time, their youngsters who use drugs will get over it and simply
stop. Some do, but most don’t. People who think drug taking goes
away, that it is a passing thing, have no understanding of the
nature of drug addiction. More often than not, their ignorance will
cost their addicted loved ones dearly.
The truth is that our schools are
full of drugs. They were years ago and are much more so nowadays.
The truth is that, whereas there were few drug users in the
workplace 50 years ago, today it is not uncommon to find a drug user
in the office or on the plant floor.
Those deep into drugs are,
understandably, out of school and not working.
We need, however, to be careful
not to give in to the temptation of thinking that the drug problem
will run its course anytime soon. It won’t. Quite the contrary,
all the signs point to a greater incidence of drug use among our
people. It’s a worldwide phenomenon and we are surely not exempt.
If you have problems about
drugs, alcohol and behavior/attitude call my office at 820-6107 or
825-1771 or e-mail me at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write me at P.O. Box
2099 MCPO, Makati City.
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