The recent political climate is centered on President Obama’s recent Healthcare Reformation (commonly known as “Obamacare”), his Military actions, and his economic reformation. Among his many actions is his new plan to “reduce drug use and its consequences-the National Drug Control Strategy…this science based plan, guided by the latest research on substance abuse, contains more than 100 specific reforms to submit our work to protect public health and safety in America” (A Drug Policy for the 21st Century). While this appears to be impressive and elaborate, many are still finding it even more difficult to transform their lives for the better. This problem arises from many sources which include Obamacare, that has made medical prescriptions and healthcare outrageously expensive, and an economy that has a a standard of living just as costly. To survive on one’s own is a dream, and to survive, one has to get in to debt to make a job that can just barely pay for half of the bills that comes from supporting oneself and family. The stress alone is at times the reason many turn to illicit activities, like drugged driving, which is becoming an even more popular trend that the nation is seeing. This is why one of the federal campaigns was created by the Department of Transportation that created their program called, “The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program” that is “A program that aids State and local jurisdictions in detecting and arresting drugged drivers and provides training to prosecutors and judges in the prosecution of drugged driver” (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2014). While this program targets those who are drugged for every reason imaginable, their recent attention has been focused on those who are abusing prescription drugs. Most common are teenagers who have taken their parents/guardians prescribed medication which has been brought to the public’s attention even more this past year through another new campaign called, “The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign”(Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2014). This new campaign is focused on using every means necessary to bring awareness of all drug-use, especially prescribed medications, to teenagers everywhere. While these new federal campaigns, policies, and actions are quaint, the hard reality is that unless the economy becomes far more livable, the stress of just being able to survive is going to continue to have its toll on everyone. Sadly, this also means crime is going to continue to expand and substance abuse, alcoholism, and other illicit activities are going to continue to find their means of being coping mechanisms for some people.
References
The White House. Drugged Driving. The White House. Retrieved 4/18/2014 from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/drugged-driving.
The White House. The Plan: A Drug Policy for the 21st Century.The White House. Retrieved 4/18/2014 from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/drugpolicyreform.
