Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Native Americans' "Plight" of drug abuse

I mean "plight" in the best of ways, and don't know how better to phrase it. You may have imagined that I am referring to alcoholism, but I am in fact referring to drug addiction, namely heroin, in particular. This post is based, as they often are, on a NY Times post about the excessively high numbers of addicted people on an Indian reservation in New Mexico (in the study of the West, we do call them Indians, I know it seems/is politically incorrect, but it could also be un-PC to say Native American in this circle). It's striking to me because most articles are about alcoholism or addiction in general, but this high number of opiate/heroin addicted American Indians in one place is striking, especially to someone so obsessed with such things (me). This country has little or no resources to really deal with the drugs/drug problems that we have, but we fight one that locals in the area proclaim to help to some degree: Narcan. Narcan is a drug that helps in the event of an overdose of heroin, and can thereby save lives in the absence of EMS or other medical personnel. Granted, it can be argued that a drug that can save an overdosee abets drug abuse, but I argue that it is for the best. Drug abuse is a disease (yes, I subscribe to that philosophy, after reading hundreds and hundreds of pages on the subject), and anything we can do to help is GOOD. The argument that a drug that saves people from overdose is bad is fatally flawed; those overdosing need help and are more likely to seek it after such a close call. The other situation is that they are still using (having not overdosed) or are dead. The argument that they are better off dead is heartless. Just imagine your brother/sister/mother/father/uncle/aunt/cousin/best friend as the addict. I promise if it was them you'd care, and agree with me.

1 comment:

adamgilcrist said...

this talks about the Drug abuse of the Native American and Plight.
It tells about what is the meaning for plight and how it working for recover from the Drug addiction. yes agree with you, if my father/sister/brother has addicted with this problem, i had to take care them. likewise i would like to take care others life also. so i tell this to my friends and who are all affected by this proble
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adamgilcrist
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