You know here in the US there is a program called Scared Strait, in which adolescents which have acted up to an extent they seem headed to jail one
day, are exposed to people in the prison system. Hard core criminals in a controlled setting are given the opportunity to show these youths what
prison life is really like.
Is there such a program which exposes potential adolescent drug abusers to the consequences evident in medical stabilization units of long term
user's of drugs? No and for as to why, is that such a program would be considered abusive (something I agree with).
Legalizing drugs would turn our roadways into killing fields, make access to adolescents and preadolescents as easy cigarettes are today.
A recent study on cocaine (for instance) involved placing a mouse in a cage with food, water and a liquid solution mixed with cocaine, the animal
starved to death. The study was repeated over and over again with the same result.
Addiction is a fascinating phenomenon essentially, the brain is filled with many different chemicals and when drugs are used, the levels and balance
the brain maintains in respect to these chemicals is altered.
The brain then in essence accepts these levels as valid, as the body is taking in substances which are making the difference. As a result the brain is
fooled into believing these levels are correct and responds both psychologically and physiologically, when the body stops taking the drug what
maintains the new
levels.
The more you take the more you need.
Underlying all of this is the fact that the levels which are supposed to be maintained for health, survival and proper functioning. Were the levels
which existed prior to using the drug.
The analogy commonly applied with respect to "this is your brain (an egg) and this is your brain on drugs (and egg in a frying pan cooking) is more
than just correct, it describes exactly what is happening.
Released this week was a study that presents clearly the up until the age of 20 the human brain is still engaged in developmental orientation. In
other words an adolescent is not yet a fully developed human.
See link....
abcnews.go.com...
Any thoughts?
[Edited on 19-8-2003 by Toltec]