I WAS a youth upon hearing the term ‘Drug Addiction’, in respect to the use of drugs used by nations to undermine the population of other nations, which was at first still a mystery, until the literature became available.

Then, with the music of the day, two ideals emerged: the music of Rastafari and, next, the vicious horrors of hard drugs, as an option to escape inherent poverty and its violent gang conflicts, at times interpreted as piracy, etc. Today, we are subdued by fallen humanity, mostly youth and adults that we knew in a better time. But as a parent, uncle, etc., I have witnessed the onslaught of addiction for over some thirty years, when, upon visiting certain old areas, with hesitation, I make enquiries about some folk because I may have seen that soul while coming through other locations, leaving little for guesswork. Simply, if you frequent certain locations, sections of streets included, there’s little to guess. The obvious faces you, you grumble to yourself, and you lament that you lack the power to make a change because the evil has invaded your Borders. I have an offspring who, without any inspiration from his closest environment, has ventured into the labyrinth of addiction. I’ve paid attention to his change of career pursuit, a change of hope, to be resurrected from mankind’s darkest.

Yards and twisted logic, reaching a stage of self-enslavement. The funny thing in this country is the twisting of facts to satisfy the feeling that one is ahead in choosing the right substances, which are subject to questioning. For example, the drug lorazepam is helpful if administered by a physician, but there is a warning that if misused, it can lead to overdose and dependency. Some of the people who use these medications cross the barrier of overdose due to the obsessions of those who indulge and become dependent. Ignoring medical directions becomes dangerous. A more effective medical relationship with the public, especially parents and young adults, should form a branch of adult education.