Drug Addiction Stories & Info

In the aftermath of the Vancouver riots, over 8,000 people, citizens of Vancouver have used social media Facebook and Twitter to rally round and begin clean up operations. Boards covering damaged plate glass in shop front windows bear testimony to the dedication of Vancouverites to put their city right, and get things back into order. Many people have inscribed messages of hope upon the boards – We Love You – Vancouver.

Dominating the message boards are the words – Rehab Vancouver – perhaps testament to the increasing problem of drug use in British Columbia, in particular methamphetamines.

Vancouver, although an international transit port, with associated social issues, is nevertheless widely regarded today, as a model city – clean, prosperous and kept in good order. It is said that the only litter on the streets are the masses of cherry tree petals that fall onto washed down clean pavements throughout the central business district.

Canada plays host to many international events – the G20 summit, the Winter Olympics, CHOGM and Game 7 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals that was held last Wednesday evening in Vancouver. Not since 1994 has there been the wholesale rioting in Vancouver after a Stanley Cup final.

Riots Are a Sign of Social Condition

Some observers are of the view that rioting is part of the history of British Columbia, fostered by political division, and an unequal distribution of wealth. It noted that riots have followed hockey games where Canadians won, the inference being that rioting in British Columbia is more about social conditions, than related to hockey fans or the outcomes of hockey games.

(source:  http://www.amazon.ca/Reading-Riot-Act-History-Vancouver/dp/1895636671)

Police Reaction

After the 1994 Stanley Cup loss and the rioting that followed, Vancouver authorities developed a highly structured riot plan, which would appear not to have been implemented in this latest Vancouver riot. At the G20 summit in Toronto last year many protesters were arrested. Toronto police now face million dollar lawsuits for wrongful imprisonment and arrest. It is suggested that Vancouver police were hesitant to place themselves in a similar position, and were taking a fairly laid back approach to riot control last Wednesday.

(Source article Toronto G20 and Vancouver riots)

People Surrendering

Interestingly, in the wake of the violence that erupted, people involved are now voluntarily surrendering themselves to the police, perhaps because caught on video, perhaps out of genuine remorse. Perhaps both law enforcement agencies and the rioters themselves would each prefer a more conciliatory means of resolving social issues than the riotous confrontations that regularly break out.

A  Lesson to be Learned

Whilst it is clear that clean up ops and criminal prosecutions will tidy up and restore the appearance of “order” to Vancouver, what lessons will be learned, what changes made as a result of this outbreak of violence in the city.

Predictably, authorities promise more law and order, and enforcement.

Is criminalization of rioters merely a way of attempting to end the problem without getting down to the roots and causes of aggressive social behavior, and frequent outbursts of rioting.

The Social Divide

In 2007, a concerned Vancouver citizen posted personal comment about Vancouver winning the 2010 Winter Olympics, seeing the hosting of the games as having the potential to increase the social divide in Vancouver between the rich and poor. Some people could anticipate higher profits to be made, some would face more social dislocation and poverty – against a background of organized crime and increasing drug use and drug related violence throughout the wider community.

(Source article)

The article comes out in favor of a greater distribution of wealth and more social empowerment for the poor and homeless as a cure for simmering criminality and drug use. A system of governance, designed to sweep the problems of Vancouver under the carpet, so as to make Vancouver an attractive place to host highly profitable international events is seen as counter- productive. Failing to deal effectively with social issues, leads to increasing levels of substance abuse, and addiction to drugs and alcohol.

What did happen to Goodwill?

Money and profits seem to have replaced the goodwill and positive international relations originally envisaged by events such as the Olympic Games. The games as a result suffer from related drug use, corruption and bribery, the only intention being to reap a profit, and send participants home with medals.

Eliminating Rioting and Substance Abuse

If cities such as Vancouver want to eliminate rioting as a cultural norm, they will need to reform the norms of their culture, by promoting increased social inclusion, and create a more democratic basis for the distribution of wealth. Otherwise, people will continue to abuse substances, drugs and alcohol and continue to express their pain with outbreaks of violence and rioting.

People seeking a complete solution to community violence and drug use will be waiting for some time. History proves that entrenched power structures are highly resistant to abdication of power and productive change. People who feel disenchanted and disempowered need to make changes within themselves. People need to reconstruct their depleted lives, and give up their dependence on the substances and drugs that create an illusion of being happy.

The Solution Narconon

Comprehensive drug treatment programs such as Narconon, help people to overcome drug and alcohol abuse, teaching them empowering social skills. People are happy and more contented when they can get free of the pressures of life that make them vulnerable to drug use and rioting.

People looking for happiness, and an end to substance abuse will get results by choosing the fully comprehensive and effective Narconon drug and alcohol rehab program.

Get started on the road to recovery, call 1-877-782-7409

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Brenda was one of the best friends a person could have.  She and I had been friends for many years and in fact, I was the surrogate mother for her daughter, Bailey.  No one could have foreseen how very much things would change.  Brenda and I had begun to have less contact after she started seeing a guy I really didn’t care for.  We talked, but not like we once did.  I will never forget the day that our relationship changed forever.

This drug took a wonderful woman and made a mess of her life.

I called her from work one day just to see how things were going.  She was barely coherent.  She was mumbling and drifting in and out of consciousness.  Truly worried for her safety, and that of her young daughter, I called the police and asked them to check on her.  The police called me back within 30 minutes and what they said had me frozen at my desk.  “Ma’am, could you come get the child?  We are taking her mother in for drug possession and drug use”.  It was like a nightmare!  This woman who once had a prestigious and respectable job was now being hauled away for possession of Meth/cocaine.  I never in a million years imagined that was what was wrong with her that day I called her.

She had fallen in with the wrong crowd, had started not only selling but using cocaine.  Her face had sores all over it, which she continually picked at.  She had quit her job and really wasn’t taking the best care of her daughter.  This woman was once a bright, witty, extremely intelligent, friendly and generous woman with whom I spent many of my days.  As things turned out, she got sentenced to 10 years federal time.  Her daughter was shuffled from one place to another until she got out.  I heard she is out.  I expect she blames me for the whole encounter since I called the police that day.  She is off the cocaine and yet, our relationship can never be repaired.  This drug took a wonderful woman and made a mess of her life.  It took her away from a child she spent thousands of dollars worth of doctor, visits and medications to have brought into the world.  It took away a friendship that was once rock solid.  It also took 10 years from her life that she can never get back.

If you notice disturbing changes in a friend, do not hesitate to help them right away before it is too late. You can make a difference to better the life of your friend, their family and yours. For assistance in drug addiction issues, please call a professional Narconon Drug Addiction Rehab consultant at 877-782-7409.

The cops eventually showed up, and I was arrested for the first time. I spent two hours in holding before my parents picked me up at the police station. When I got home, I had lost most of the high, and felt helpless again. I remember not being able to sleep that night. I felt very anxious and nervous for a short period; yet these feelings soon went away. All I could think of was getting that original feeling back from the night before. I wanted to feel normal, and what I had felt that night was the most normal I had felt in many years.

The next morning my parents gave me a long talk about responsibility, drinking, and drug abuse. I am pretty sure it went in one ear and out the other, because, I forgot everything after they were done. For my punishment, my parents wanted me to get a part time job. I thought this was great; I now could have money and buy all the cocaine I wanted. I eventually found a job stocking shelves at a local Wal-Mart. It was a night job on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. I did not start school until Monday afternoon, and by this time school was not a top priority for me. The day I got my first paycheck, I went to my friend who introduced me to the guys doing the cocaine at the party. I gave my friend 40$ and told him to get me as much cocaine as that would buy. He came back within a couple hours, and because he got it for me we both got high that night. After we were finished I started to get that confidence back again, it wasn’t quite like I felt that other night, but it was close enough. I got myself to work that night and started my shift. It was more interesting working while you’re high. Before I knew it, my shift was done, and I was back home. This same pattern kept repeating itself for about a year. When I turned 18, I was barely making it to school; in fact, I had to take summer school in order to graduate. I was a pretty steady user on the weekends, and had adopted a new friend who I used with. He worked with me at Wal-Mart, and we would use most of the night, and somehow managed to get the work done.

After graduation, my Wal-Mart job turned into a full time gig, and of course my parents were pressuring me to go to college and get educated. I figured my experience’s throughout my entire school career was enough for me, and I did not want to experience it again. Besides, I had a good thing going. Easy work at night, friends I could relate to, and everyday was a good time. I never really paid attention to the little things happening around me. Because I still lived with my parents, they were always suspicious of my activity, and they became more confrontational with me when they saw things they didn’t like. I ignored it of course, and still did my own thing. I came into work one night, and I found out the guy I worked and used with, got fired. He was caught stealing, and apparently was doing it for some time. He would change inventory reports, and made it look like the items never existed. He would then turn around and sell these items and make a profit. I found out through co-workers he was ripping the place off to support his drug habit. I could never figure that out; we made pretty good money. I was able to cover my expenses, so why couldn’t he. Work wasn’t the same any more after that, it became boring, and I was showing up late, hung over, and even high. Eventually this behaviour got me fired, and I was now stuck facing a choice from my parents. They told me I had to find a job if I wanted to still live with them, or go to college. I knew I had to find a job, and soon, otherwise I would be sleeping on a friends couch for the next little while. Eventually, I found job working on a construction site. The money was good, and I got to work outside. I seemed to get along great with the other guys I was working with, some of them were users, and some were not. I automatically started hanging around the drug users. Part of me felt more comfortable with them. It was almost like I was ashamed of what I was doing, and I knew these people would not judge me.

If nothing to stop the cycle of addiction has been done at this point, it can become quite difficult to address it later on. This person has created a support group of other drug users, whom he can relate to. He is also working again, and making more money then before. To parents, this can sometimes seem like the person is stable and doing well. And because of this, parents can have the frame of mind to wait and see what happens. Parents should not lie to themselves; they know what is going to happen, and how it will happen. As a parent you have two choices, you can intervene and make a solid attempt to help your son or daughter, and give yourself a piece of mind knowing you did. Or, you can sit back and wait for something to happen, and decide at that point to pick up the pieces or not. If the second option happens, it will be difficult, if not impossible to say no to your son or daughter when they come asking for money or a place to live.

If that happens, you can turn everything around and offer your child help to handle their drug or alcohol problem. Whatever happens, do not turn a blind eye to this. Especially when you know something could have been done to prevent it.

For more information on how you can stop drug or alcohol addiction, contact the Narconon® Drug Rehabilitation Center right away. If you have questions about the warning signs, and how to prevent them, contact us, we can help.

Toll free 1-877-782-7409

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