Substance use…not abuse

I must note that I stand corrected. Apparently the correct term to describe an individual who uses a psychoactive substance incorrectly (or at all in some cases) is not that he or she is abuses the drugs, but that she or he only uses the stuff.
Well that makes it all right then, doesn’t it.
Come on, doing anything to the point where you are unable to function let alone think straight is simply the definition of abuse.
And yet we wonder why people feel it is their right to ruin their lives at the expense of others. Of course i stand correct they are probably not ruining their lives, they are simply making choices.

Choices which mean an ever increasing share of our health care budget goes to treating these individuals.

Their choices mean that tax money tagged for healthcare ends up going for treating drug users. Not abusers. No we cannot call them abusers. They are users.

Honestly our culture needs to grow up. They are abusers. If they were simply users, they would be able to continue as contributing members of our society.

If they were only users, they would not be laid out in a stupor in door ways of business and homes in Vancouver or Surrey.

But since we insist on making them feel better, we lessen the reality of their situation. These poor folks are barely able to feed themselves because the amount of drug and alcohol ABUSE the inflict upon themselves.

Are we just making ourselves feel better by calling it USE?

We need to stop the merry go round of provincial and federal funding of this ABUSE. I truly feel that by allowing this attitude of correctness and feel good and cuddly we are hurting the people who need us the most.

I do recall something of a quote, and I paraphrase; Give a man, you feed him for day(unless it is smoked then maybe a couple of days) teach a man to fish you feed him for a life time.

By allowing ourselves to feel people are simply using drugs and alcohol, we allow ourselves to say, oh it is OK honey he is only using. Be real, call it abusing and you will feel different and maybe just maybe you will do something to make a real change in someones life.

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