Necessary Evil
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| Mon, 02-26-2007 - 2:54pm |
I just spent upwards of 15 minutes at the local drug store because I had to sign for an over the counter cold medicine. They have to verify my drivers license and I have to fill out a form complete with name, address & phone number.
Many of you probably already know this, but some over the counter medicine can be used to make crystal meth so they took them off the shelves. My question is, why would someone even *think* about trying a drug that they know is addictive? Have they not seen what meth can do to a person? It rots teeth, can cause heart attacks/strokes, turns youthful-looking skin into a frightening mess, renders users emotionally unavailable to their family, friends, even their own children and robs most of their ability to experience happiness b/c of irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Sorry, I'm just irritated that what used to be a five minute trip to the drug store has turned into such a task just because certain people, adults, cannot control themselves. What a shame.

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I agree - it is somewhat bewildering WHY someone would take a drug that does what meth does to a person.
I witnessed myself just what meth does. A friend's boyfriend started using it a few years ago. This guy was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet, friendly, kind-hearted - maybe not the brightest bulb in the pack - but his heart was usually in the right place. Up until then, his protocol was beer. Guess he got bored with the beer. All that changed when he started using meth. In the end, his GF kicked him out, he stole several thousand dollars from his own mother, and among other things, ran off to Georgia. Apparently he's in jail now for something. Not sure what. But his transformation was just amazing in a sort of traffic accident sort of way.
As to why, I would venture to say that it's the same old "it won't happen to me" or "I can handle it" mentality that a lot of people seem to have about a lot of things. Maybe it's the adventure or something.
I don't get it either, but I also don't get addiction to cigarettes or alcohol.
Working with drug using kids and watching a teenager battle meth and cocaine addiction and sobriety that her own father got her hooked on when she was 13...I can tell you its not always about a lack in controlling themselves. The drug is often the only thing they have in life. Truly. Its like the parent, friend, sense of love, or satisfaction they never received. Its tragic.
I dont want stuff regulated either, but its too early to tell if it is really helping lower the rates of addiction in this country. But meth addiction is a real serious issue in this country, with many states considering "meth jails" where the inmates are just meth addicted. The treatment and sobriety issues with this population are incredibly more demanding and taxing than other addictions. Our taxes pay an exhorbitant (sp?) amount of money related to addiction. I would rather wait an extra 5 minutes at the drug store, than continue to spend billions of dollars every year on addiction.
That meth kid changed my life and my perspective on things. I still dont totally understand it, but I can definitely appreciate its impact on the user, their family and the community at large.
Shy, how is that little girl that clings to you doing?
That little girl moved to Michigan about a month ago.
Most women start for losing weight. But one time using it and they are hooked. It's very addictive. Just like any other drug they don't think they will get hooked, they think they are strong enough not to become addicted, it won't happen to them. yada yada yada. You know?
It's a pain.
Smile,
Deirdre
I know what you mean - it's a huge pain and this time of year I need those meds.
Why would anyone smoke cigarettes knowing what they can do to the body? Why would anyone who's ever seen a picture of a diseased liver ever drink alcohol? Why would anyone who saw what being overweight does to the cardio-pulmonary system ever eat cake?
Now, I am not advocating trying crystal meth if you smoke, drink, or eat cake. Hehe. But I do think that all of us do things that are bad for our health. What decides which things we do has a lot to do with how and where we were raised.
Jules
***I don't want to step too far up onto my soapbox, but the whole process of regulating every.last.thing. we buy and do just irks me.***
Amen, sister, Amen.
Even though I have not smoked a cigarette in 6 months and am disgusted by the though of ever having another one, I have this argument with people on the about.com smoking cessation forum all of the time. People on there want the sale of cigarettes outlawed and I just don't support that. In Chicago, public smoking has been banned and will be in full effect soon and the banned foie gras (don't get me started on that) and now trans fats.
If we remove personal choice, decision making, and responsibility, we won't live in a free society any longer and that scares the bejeesus out of me.
Wow.
What a sad situation. Hope that mom's phone calls makes a difference.
To all, I was just thinking about how sad the situation was while I was going through the whole process back in the pharmacy at CVS. I later researched crystal meth on Google and the results were so disturbing.
I realize that the results from smoking and drinking have harmful effects as well but there is something so profoundly unnerving about the images which result from a search on meth.
Your replies make perfect sense to me, they do, but after seeing those images, I still cannot imagine trying a drug like this upon seeing the destruction it leaves behind. It's just not fathomable to me, even though I know that the drug sucks in thousands of unsuspecting individuals every single day.
Unfortunately, I really don't think they will.
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