Cory Morgan: Enabling Addiction Only Exacerbates Drug Abuse

Commentary

Cigarette smoking was prevalent during my childhood in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a common sight to see people smoking everywhere, including restaurants, airplanes, malls, and hospitals. Smoking was heavily featured on TV and in magazine ads as well. However, over time, millions of Canadians chose to quit, and today, very few people take up the habit.

This change occurred as a result of denormalizing smoking, making it impractical, expensive, and stigmatized. Smokers were chased from indoor settings, extra taxes were placed on cigarettes, packages were hidden, and advertising was banned. In addition, smokers were faced with reminders of the health consequences of their addiction, as cigarette packages were forced to carry images of lung cancer, yellow teeth, and other negative impacts of smoking.

After decades of these efforts, there are now discussions about ending all legal cigarette sales for people born before 2008, as the number of smokers has substantially decreased.

Meanwhile, the addiction to opiates and methamphetamines is now an epidemic. Overdoses are at record levels, and addiction levels are climbing, leading to an increase in crime associated with illicit drug use. Homeless addicts are filling the streets and parks with tent cities.

Instead of using the proven methods developed to combat cigarette smoking, advocates for addiction enablement are making it easier for addicts to obtain and consume addictive drugs.

If kids are more inclined to take up smoking when they see people do it in public, doesn’t the open consumption of other drugs in playgrounds lead to the same temptation? Common sense says yes.