From the Huffington Post:
Does increasing public awareness about inhalant abuse create more users? An article posted this morning presents this question. Specifically, the author cites campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s preceded a rise in inhalant abuse.
On anti-drug campaigns against prescription drugs:
"The same phenomenon was seen again in the late 1990's with the drug Oxycontin. News accounts about a "deadly new high" appeared first--followed by jumps in use and deaths."
The combination of a potentially deadly high and children will probably always be catnip for the media. But, in the case of inhalants, they never seem to ask why inhalants are the only drugs whose popularity declines as preteens become teenagers and young adults."
The alternative:
"Rather than "raising awareness" of the deadly nature of inhalants, we should instead raise awareness of the lousy high involved, perhaps failing to characterize it as a high at all. Inhalants basically produce the experience of brain damage-- not a specific, pharmacological result."
As always, we encourage you to leave comments here or share your opinions on the message board. What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment