Drug Addiction
Dear Editor,
The time has arrived for society to reassign a stigma to those who would allow themselves to become drug addicted. Treating every person that uses drugs as having an illness has proven to be the wrong course to follow. It sidesteps two very important concepts, accountability and responsibility. Each of us is responsible for ourselves and therefore will be held accountable for our behavior. Have addicts lost sight of this or is it not part of their internal value system? This is where the whole issue of drug addiction resides. And this is what needs to be addressed if we are to attempt to solve the problem.
Legalizing marijuana is a bold step in the wrong direction. It tends to lessen the warranted stigma needed to deter drug use. The liberalized culture that exists today has ceased to offer positive reinforcement to appropriate behavior. Instead, it condones drug abuse and encourages mediocrity and non-achievement. In a climate suh as this how would anyone be expected to develop the character and internal self-respect to conduct their lives in a meaningful appropriate way?
Robert D’Amelio
East Boston, MA