Forced drug treatment a success (comments on this?)

you can't get into drug treatment voluntarilly very easily in this country, but they are going to force people that don't want to be there into beds that can be used for those who do?

Sounds kind of rediculous.

My parents forced my brother into a program once for pot when he was a kid, I wonder what kind of drugs they are cleaning these kids off of?

I don't believe in forced/compulsory treatment, it's a violation of the individual's rights and I don't believe it's an effective measure at all. I feel that young people and everyone for that matter deserves consideration and respect and the right info./education provides everyone with options to choose from that does not require compulsory treatment. In the long run, better r'ships with parents would naturally arise out of being provided with consideration, respect and choices.

However, I fully understand why parents would want to take such drastic measures. As the addiction/recovery movement has a grim, scary policy that you're supposed to wait for the addict to "hit bottom" and this is not wise because it takes maturity for someone to take a near death experience seriously. I don't mean that young addicts aren't mature enough. But in reality, near death experiences are commonplace for addicts.

There's a scientific reason too why the "hit bottom" theory is not sound & I'll look it up & post it soon as I find out. Also, there's a website of Vancouver based parents who are working on helping their addicted kids. It's called From Grief to Action.

I also believe it's high time to be serious about ending the war on drugs and implementing a sound educational policy about drugs rather than deluge the public with propaganda that only encourages the "forbidden fruit" aspect of drug use.

Some drugs are not harmful or addictive at all.

Pot can't be rightly be considered a drug in any other than a medicinal sense. That's why I want to see an end to the war on drugs. Pot is totally misclassified as a narcotic in the unconscionable drug laws when it's a psychedelic and not addictive.

Furthermore, pot has been used in religious practice for thousands of years. And has also recently been successuflly used in BC to wean kids off crystal meth.

People need to do their own research and info. abounds for anyone who chooses to avail himself or herself.

There oughta be detox on demand for people who want it and not just 30 day cold turkey rehab but a good programs with follow up help for whomever wants it when they need it.

My mistake, I didn't mean to ellude to pot being a drug. My point was, how reactionary is this law? Are kids wasting space in rehab for pot, like when my brother was forced into day treatment for it?

Hi there

Thanks for your comments on this issue, that being said I too disagree with compulsory drug treatment.

I beleive the best solution for kids who really wish to get off drugs would be to have more long term treatment centers where they can go to if they choose do to that.

It is in the end their choices if they want to seek treatment or not just as it is the right of anyone else.

Another solution would be for the parents of these kids to talk with them and be more responsible themselves instead of blaming this situation on their kids solely.

It maybe a problem in the household causing a kid to want to take up drugs and if the parents don`t speak to their kids about it then they are being irresponsible themselves.

Anyway, that`s it on this.

Daniel

Hi Budd

Thanks for your comments on this issue, you make some very valid points on this.

It is kind of ridiculous to force people to get treatments when they don`t want it and you are right it is taking the space from people who really want to get help.

Daniel

Hi again

Just wanted to say, that I totally agree with you on this, that`s why I am saying I guess that we need more long term treatment centers for those who really want to kick the habit.

Daniel

Hi again

Pot is classified as drug but in my mind it`s not a heavy drug.

What I mean by this I guess is, there are countless other drugs that are more harmful then pot including legal one`s such as alcohol and cigarettes.

What get`s me is, we as a society are willing to judge someone for smoking a joint and label them as drug addicts and give a stupid ticket if caught smoking it, but we don`t bitch much about people smoking cigarettes or drinking booze.

I say, if cigarettes and alcohol are legal, why not making pot legal as well not just for medicinal purpose.

I can say one thing by experience, I am and have always been more addicted to cigarette smoking then I have ever been on pot.

I can go for very long period of time without smoking a joint (I can go for years if I want too and have done it) but I cannot go without my cigarettes I am hooked on this like you won`t beleive.

Daniel

One can go for a long time without using pot because it's not addictive. Pot's a psychedelic and incorrectly classified in the narcotic control act & can't really be considered a drug in any other than a medicinal sense.

I think all drugs, not just pot need to be decriminalized. The criminalization of these substance is what generates all the trouble and criminal activity because what's really happening is that people are being criminalized and persecuted for behaviour that's nobody's business.

Lots of money is made from the war on drugs, from unconscionable drug laws. You'd think something would have been learned from alcohol prohibition but obviously not.

It would be better if parents and kids were more willing to communicate with each other but easier said than done. Thing is, there's about no support at all for parenting, so it often makes it difficult for kids to respect their parents.

We've heard time and time again that it takes a community to raise children but we no longer have communities. And without the support of an extended family and communities, communication between people who really care about each other is limited.

I guess it depends on how widespread it is i.e. how much time and space would a kid be in rehab for pot? I can't for the life of me imagine why it would happen at all. It couldn't be pot they're addicted to because it's not addictive. Whatever they're addicted to, it's probably because the pot they've been using is laced with something else.

I agree that these kids couldn`t be addicted to pot, if they have a drug problem it has to be something else.

Perhaps they mix it up with alcohol like the people in the building where I am currently and this would cause certain problems, as well, they could be mixing it up with other drugs.

Pot in itself doesn`t cause problems or very little if any, alcohol and other drugs in another hand do cause problems if you are addicted to them.

I have been doing pot on and off for years and I have never cause any problems to anyone nor did it get me in trouble with anyone except for the odd cops who beleive that giving me a ticket for a joint will do a lot of good to the world.

Daniel

It all depends on how you use it. Pot has very mild physical effects, but there's no doubt that it can strongly influence someones life - some kids fall so in love with it that they build their whole persona around it. But what really worries me is how many kids are getting hooked on prescription meds now. Stuff like oxycontin addiction is getting more and more commonplace now, at younger and younger ages.