Today, somewhere around 23 million Americans need help for drug or alcohol addiction. Only about one in ten people will find the help they need. The other 22 million will continue to struggle and always live with the threat of an overdose or injury while impaired.
America and many other countries have long histories of alcohol consumption – including, of course, abuse, addiction and overdose deaths all along the way. Some countries have long histories as well of drug use, such as Ethiopia’s use of khat and some Native Americans’ use of peyote. Where does sobriety fit into our current culture? Drugs and alcohol have been used for several thousand years. Is there any reason we should try to curb this tendency?
There is every reason. The biggest reason of all is our children. If you stand back and look at our current society, you may see more pro-drug influences than ones endorsing and supporting drug-free living. Every year, there are more movies and television shows featuring drug-using characters, often without emphasizing the spiritual, mental and moral wreckage that accompanies that use. A steady diet of drug advertisements on television reinforces the message that drugs are an easy, instant solution to whatever ails one.
Parents may feel our towns are not safe enough for their children to ride their bicycles around town to visit friends or play ball when they choose and so kids stay at home to play video games or watch television. So when they get older and see their friends getting high, it may look so interesting and exciting that they want to get some of that experience themselves. Without a widespread societal message that sobriety is a major key to one’s success, young people may not have any good reason to stop themselves from joining their friends when they start up with beer or marijuana.
This is an invitation to every person who sees the problem – who’s trying to raise drug-free children – who has experienced the devastation of a loved one due to drug abuse – to support sobriety. If you have a picnic, make it non-alcoholic. If you go out with friends, set an example by going non-alcoholic. If you have children, tell them you fully expect them to stay drug and alcohol free until they are 21 years old. Be daring – and even have a non-alcoholic wedding. Try a sober cruise or vacation. Endorse drug-free events and alcohol-free alternatives for young people in your town.
You never know who you might influence by staying sober. It might make someone think about their use of drugs or alcohol and make a turn toward sobriety. At the very least, you will be showing young people (your kids or other people’s) that it’s not necessary to use drugs or alcohol to have a good time. Every single person that supports drug-free living with their actions is a single step toward better survival for our country.
