Changing the Way we Look at Drugs

A commentary on the 2007 World Drug Report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime by Keith Codenn The 2007 World Drug Report released this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, has good news for everyone fighting the war on drugs - the "run away train of drug addiction has slowed down." But lest we err in thinking the problem is licked, the report also bluntly states that one out of every 200 people in the world is "ruled by drugs." That means addicted. And it doesn't include the millions of youth and adults who casually use drugs. In the field of motorcycle racing and other high-risk sports the dangers of drugs is clearcut. If you're not 100 percent alert when racing at 180 miles per hour, you're taking your life in your hands. Its as simple as that. But in reality, the havoc that drugs wreak on an individual's health, family and community is just outside our doors. Drugs destroy millions of lives every year but the most disturbing aspect is the damage done to our young people and the threat this represents to the future of our country. In fact, it's a certainty that everyone of us knows someone whose life has been ruined in one way or another by drugs. People take drugs because they want to change something about their lives. Some try drugs to experiment, to seem cool with their friends or to rebel. Others take them to escape or relax and even because they're bored. The toll, when not actually deadly, is in terms of destroyed ability, alertness, muddied thinking and ruined health. The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has urged the world to change the way it looks at the drugs problem, with emphasis on the shared responsibility we all have in ridding our communities of drugs. And it's true that nonone decides to become a victim of drugs but it is nonetheless a common occurrence. The answer lies in education, arming people with the truth about drugs so they can make informed choices. The Foundation for a Drug Free World is one organization working to empower individuals and organizations with the facts on drugs. Formed to meet the ever-growing demand for the Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life drug prevention program, the Foundation provides effective, straight forward booklets with facts on marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, crack, heroin, LSD, painkillers, "kiddie cocaine" (prescription stimulants), and methamphetamine. There are more than 18 million copies in circulation today. Knowledge is power and with drugs everywhere around us, we have to be educated on the subject. Not only for ourselves but for our family, friends, community and country. nn nKeith Code is 30-year professional motorcycle racing instructor and Ambassador for the Foundation for a Drug Free World, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, Califo ia. The Foundation was established in October 2006 to meet the growing demand for the "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" program, which has been conducted for more than 20 years by members of Scientology churches in collaboration with other volunteer groups, educational institutions and government agencies. For further information on FDFW and their drug education resources, visit www.drugfreeworld.org.