Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life

Addictions

PHARM FASHION

The controversy over the West Hollywood celebrity shop Kitson hawking sweatshirts that have prescription drug slogans splashed on them started a few weeks ago.

When I read about it my  response was, “this sucks big time”.  But I didn’t want to rush to judgment so I thought I would ponder it for awhile, do some research, and see how I felt.

After a week, I was still in the it “sucks big time” camp.  But I wanted to weigh it out fairly.  Some people I know who have been in recovery felt it started a dialogue.

The main dialogue I read about at that point was in regards to the lawsuit between the drug makers and the sweatshirt makers.

So I pondered it for another week.  And I have come up with my true feelings.  The only people who should be walking around with XANAX, ADDERALL and VICODIN in bold letters on their shirts are those who might be going to a drive through pharmacy and be too busy to stop.  But then you would need to be wearing three shirts.  Anybody who has had a prescription for these drugs or is a doctor will get the joke.

Truth is we do not need to glamorize drug use. Any drug use. And prescription drug use is out of control.

“People aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time  began by using a prescription drug non-medically.”

So says The White House Office of National Drug Policy.  They also say –

“Some individuals who misuse prescription drugs, particularly teens, believe these substances are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional and dispensed by a pharmacist”

We also know they get a lot these drugs by taking an excursion into their parent’s medicine cabinets.  The message being they are in the house so they can’t be too bad.  And if they are good enough for mom and pops – they must be OK.  It’s not like traveling to some rat infested crack den.  Spray on some of mom’s Chanel 5 and grab a few XNAX. Drink some of dad’s scotch.  End up in the hospital.

People need XNAX.  I have needed XNAX. People need Adderall, I don’t think as many as take it need it, but if you need it, you need it. Vicodin is serious shit, and should only be taken when in real pain.

This country already has a problem with glorifying celebrity drug use. We have entire TV shows devoted to it.

Where do we draw the line?  We need to show kids – this is your brain on drugs ads and not advertise that this a cool, hip, thing and it goes great with jeans.

Hey come to think of it where are those ads? Remember the egg frying?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies from a drug overdose every 19 minutes.  That makes it one of the leading causes of accidental death in this country.

It’s been forty -two years since Nixon launched the “War on Drugs”.

Obama decided that phrase was counterproductive. I’m not going to argue semantics dealing with war, especially with a President who was going to get us out of them and not into more or them.

But the war on drugs has been less successful than our trying to fight our way through the Arab countries. And we know how well that is going. Both wars are pretty impossible if you ask me.

But we have a slightly better chance with drugs if we don’t turn them into a fashion statement.

So now the dialogue has started, the shirts must go.

This blog appeared  Monday on my site www.traceyjacksononline.com. Sometimes I send things from here over there.  This time I’m cross-polinating in the other direction.