Editor, Times-Union: In regards to all of the outrage over the meth problem we have in our area, shame on you for being so cavalier toward those who abuse. Have you never been addicted to anything? Cigarettes, pot, alcohol, food, a television show. We all have our vices that we are addicted to. However, meth addiction is 10 times worse than anything most of us will ever experience. I personally have never taken meth but I have friends with family members who have.
When this addiction hits you, you are hooked to the very destruction of any kind of normal life. It doesn’t matter if you are well-to-do, or homeless, it grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go until you are in jail or dead. Plus, meth takes the friends and family along for the ride – they must watch their loved ones change and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.
It’s so prevalent in this area that police give lectures on how to spot meth labs. It’s very hard to stop people from making it because the ingredients are easily attainable. Yet all methods used to this point in time have not stopped the problem. Going to jail just stops you while you’re in jail and when you’re dead, well I don’t think friends and family think this is an answer either.
What we need are experts who are able to help these people stop taking meth. When we break a bone, we get medical attention. When we have severe depression, we see a doctor. Come on, this problem is not going away, our loved ones are hurting and they need medical assistance. We still have to treat both their physical and mental addiction problems as they move forward to reclaim their lives and become productive members of society.
People who say it’s their own fault for taking the drug in the first place. It doesn’t matter, it’s the same for people who attempt suicide (it’s their fault), we all make mistakes, but that is no reason to arbitrarily throw them to the wolves.
