Warp Speed was a successful initiative which created a collaboration between government, science and medical manufacturers. In record time, good vaccines reversed the death toll of the Chinese Virus and America and the world defeated another disease. Ongoing worldwide research continues to address other dreadful diseases.
However, the plague of drug addiction in the United States is raging even though the solutions are readily available. Too many proper law enforcement and treatment solutions have been replaced by political correctness where elected officials look the other way and actually aid the victims in their self destruction. Recently, viewing U Tube documentaries about the open drug use in Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other cities has been a heart breaking revelation. Seeing so many young people and fellow citizens suffering from the disease of drug addiction can and should be handled as a curable disease.
Specifically, those who manufacture, transport and sell drugs should be rigorously prosecuted. This means deportation or serious prison time. To the addicted, facilities must be established and funded to cure sick people of their drug dependence. As an example, Rhode Island established a program through it's corrections department which brings drug addicts into rehab centers where they get the counseling and medicines necessary to overcome drugs. When sent back into the community these previous addicts are required to continue their cure with counseling and medicines. The success rate of the Rhode Island program is very high which means most of the participants begin new lives free of drugs.
I believe politicians have failed in many cases by softening drug enforcement laws, providing free needles and allowing sidewalks and parks to become filthy tent cities. Homelessness and crime are caused by drugs and when the addicted are treated as people with a disease, the homelessness and crime rates will decline.
When a loved one is seriously injured or beset by a serious disease we rush to get medical remedies. Shouldn't we extend the same compassion and help to street people addicted by drugs ? Over the decades cures and remedies for pneumonia, malaria, polio, heart diseases, diabetes and other human afflictions have been developed and used to cure and ease pain. We have the medicines and treatments to erase the despair of drug addiction, but aren't maximizing its uses - why ?
Many politicians are reluctant or unwilling to enforce laws or do the hard work of solving the drug problem and saving those who need help. In my opinion, it's a damn shame we have political leaders who have abandoned correcting a public plague which spawns so many other crimes. Worse, these cowardly and ineffective politicians are often re elected.
No comments:
Post a Comment