Is “every junkie a setting sun”?
A Person abuses medication, illicit drugs, and booze to the point of full-blown addiction.
Someone who lives outside in the cold cruel world. Perhaps mentally ill, homeless or transient. This person tries to live in weather that is negged -30 in the cold of winter.
Someone who does things that put themselves and others at risk through their own actions.
Why do I gather such people together as one group? They are all in need, have no control over their afflictions, and often oppose those that try to help them. Statistically not many of them “graduate” from our society’s plentiful social programs that attempt to help them. Are they suicidal?
Are the above-mentioned situations describe a person out of control? Perhaps even suicidal in thought and actions? Is suicide not only frowned upon, socially unacceptable and in fact a crime?
Well with the direction our society is evolving towards, the above-mentioned individuals along with the very ill, the pain inflicted and mentally lost souls of society will have a chance at erasing themselves soon enough. Yes, many have killed themselves through assisted suicide(particularly in B.C.). Our laws seem to have given up on these folks, possibly giving them the ability to finish their lives by their own hands, as they’d like.
If one is suicidal does that not direct our society to protect these individuals in every way we can? Is not putting yourself out there, with the chance of freezing to death suicidal? Taking illegal substances that could also be laced with fentanyl suicidal? Drinking alcohol until your liver gives up the ghost suicide?
Is not driving while under the influence, threatening your life and the lives of others both suicidal and criminal?
If suicide is criminal, and we can come to see that the many threatening actions mentioned above are suicidal then can our society not act directly to save, protect and hopefully preserve these people’s lives.
Taking illicit drugs is done by mentally challenged people. No one in their right mind would take drugs that are lethal and also laced with who knows what.
Idea: Declare the actions of self-harm to be criminal, only as a way to detain, interview, detox and carry out therapy for these individuals. Three months of detox, interviews, personal counselling, medical physicals, and feeding nourishment while allowing these individuals to become better. If they seek more of the same, so be it. If someone commits a crime, they lose some of their rights, so by directing the justice system to declare that self-harm is criminal, society can force those out of control, to begin a process of betterment.
Many nations see suicide and self-harm as criminal acts. Often those charged are placed in institutions that can direct their health and welfare process. Once, long ago society promoted the idea that those with mental and physical exhaustion and stress had the option to go to institutions of betterment. That is something that can happen once again. The costs of addiction, mental health and homelessness can be redirected to make the lives of these people better. Ending useless deaths. Our medical and social services are at a cliff point, not having anywhere to go, and often hopelessness prevails. So our professionals are at a loss on what to do. They all know that there is a process available that can help those suffering from addictions, mental illness and hopelessness, but one factor lies out of their reach…they cannot force someone to get better, force them to walk away from the horrors of addiction. Voluntary services often do not work. 18% of those who go to these services will improve their lot, the rest will not, or back fall in time to their self-destructive ways.
The elderly will eventually revert to their youthful state, where society will need to assist them in all things. Those who are helpless, addicted and full of fear will do the same, but for the greater chance of dying from drugs and alcohol abuse. The mentally ill and addicted folks have a far greater chance of dying well before their time. Take away the drug of choice, and grant them assistance and needed time to change their ways, while away from the environments that threatened them, and you may have a winning solution.
Addiction-Mental Health Crisis vs Personal Freedom(temporarily limited).
What would you choose?
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
