Untying the Knots: Democracy Decries 148 Poverty & Social Safety Net 01: Episode 32 (original) (raw)

Highlights of this episode are: 1. Not only poverty in general, homelessness and social stigma exacerbate 'substance abuse;’ ‘substance abuse’ can also make people homeless. 2. People with mental anxieties fall easy prey to drugs; drugs will yield to strong-minded people, not in mutuality; irrespective of the mentality of people, it is not desirable for anyone to lose the normal rhythm of life by 'substance abuse.’ 3. People may 'yield to mental anxieties' because of social stigma; one who falls prey to social stigma, for whatever reason, may not have appropriate social balance; where the man needs help, he is subjected to social stigma, which is futile. 4. Someone can be the better speaker than a good speaker; that room of democratic excellence has to be maintained, which we often do not see in society. 5. The same thing can be perceived differently from different perspectives; whatever the point of view is, it must be founded on logic and appropriate data; if not, decision should not be taken from that perspective because, if the decision is wrong, everyone concerned will have to pay for it, no doubt. 6. 'Addiction does not discriminate'; the adage is also true in the affirmative; one person may 'welcome' drugs while the other may reject them; the difference is right there. 7. If a person grows up in an environment and/or circumstance in which drug dealing operates freely (i.e., not drug-free environment), that environment will ‘touch’ him for sure; a system must be devised so that such social environment is not or cannot be created. 8. We cannot identify ‘substance abuse’ or drug overdose as a human right. 9. When a person comes out of prison after a long imprisonment, he is in dire need of some assistance or supportive situation; all concerned can agree upon the post-prison planning so that a citizen of the state can re-enter the society properly and engage in productive works. 10. Opioid is a class of drugs; Opioids have morphine-like effects on the brain and they can be used for medical purposes; abuse of this substance can lead to the death of the person consuming it. 11. The number of Opioid overdose deaths in the United States continues to rise, with 81,806 deaths in 2022; according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of prescribed Opioid users is also increasing day by day. 12. At the national level, we can strengthen more specific programs on 'substance abuse' or drug overdose than they are in operation now; treatment plans can be made at the individual level. 13. Once recovered, necessary measures should be taken to ensure that no one gets involved in drugs again; these persons should be engaged in the productive activities of the mainstream society.