- It is not dope/cool what is going on in our society: Too many beautiful human souls are leaving this earth too soon
- It is not actually DOPE anymore: The supply is tainted with fentanyl, tranq, and other adulterants.
- It is not the DOPE: The drugs are not the real issue here. The issue is complex and revolves around our infrastructure including failing mental health system & inability to properly address co-occurring disorders, our lack of sufficient affordable housing, the difficulty to get jobs with wages that keep up with increasing cost of living, the difficulty to get jobs for individuals coming out of incarceration, and our overemphasis on criminalization.
As we waste resources on the drug war and trying to cut off supply (which still continues to find a way to people) instead addressing the demand and providing necessary supports, it is no surprise we are in the situation we are in.
In addition to the traumas early in life, young children being overexposed to social media can cause false/unrealistic expectations, lost trust in people/institutions, and cyber bullying. Loss of authenticity, shortened attention spans/emotional numbing, and addictions to dopamine/instant gratification is worsening the mental health crisis which often results in numbing with substances later in life. In a society where genuine connections & being aligned to one's purpose/passions is becoming less commonplace and so many humans treat other humans like shit, blaming the drugs is a total cop out.
Upside-down priorities of PROFIT > PEOPLE is a recipe for the current rampant drug use.
LET US NOT FORGET THE LARGE CONTRIBUTING ROLE OF CORRUPT BIG PHARMA/OVERPERSCRIBING OF PILLS, FOLLOWED BY AGRESSIVE CRACKDOWN ON PILL MILLS/OPIOID PRESCRIBING, LEAVING PEOPLE WITH OPIOID DEPENDENCE BUT THE INABILITY TO GET THEM (AND/OR EXORBIANT PRICING) CAUSING PEOPLE TO TURN TO THE STREETS FOR HEROINE, THERE BEING A CRACKDOWN OF HEROINE, FENTANYL ENTERING THE MARKET, FOLLOWED BY TRANQ, AS THE IRON LAW OF PROHIBITION CONTINUES TO PLAY OUT IN REAL TIME
Our government has failed us & our doctors, citizens, lawmakers, & law enforcement are in need of more accurate education on the different tools that can be helpful and how to identify & address the root issues. Many of these tools have hard evidence to prove how lives can be saved and have been successfully deployed in other countries.
WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE OVERDOSE CRISIS WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THAT THE WAR ON DRUGS IS ROOTED IN RACISM & CLASSISM AND HAS DONE NOTHING SHORT OF DESTROY LIVES AND MAKE MATTERS WORSE, CONTINUING TO DISPORPORTIAELY EFFECT PEOPLE OF COLOR/THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMUNITIES
