Most of us remember watching the television as a child and seeing anti-drug public service announcements urging children and adults alike to “just say no.” While the message was clear and good, these public service announcements clash sharply with government interests which seem to play with classifications on drugs. While the regular list of suspects will continue to include cocaine, meth, and heroine, our government may in fact be contributing to a new generation of drug users thanks in large part to the pervasive presence of pharmaceutical companies across the country.
Drug Use in America
Drug use is one of the most common problems in America. Everyone knows of the potential dangers associated with many of these drugs, yet for whatever reason they continue to imbue thanks to their addiction. Drug use is dangerous for both the user and anyone in proximity as there were 9.4 million people in 2011 who reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and put not only themselves, but every other motorist on the road at risk along with them. In that same year there were over 5 million emergency room visits that were drug related — the unregulated distribution of these drugs mean that many dealers choose to cut their product with a similar substance in order to make more money, often at the expense of the user’s safety. Due to processes like this, there were over 47,000 fatal drug overdoses in 2014 alone. In addition to illicit drugs, alcohol too can be a dangerous vice for an addict to cling to. In 2014 there were an estimated 130 million individuals who could be classified as alcoholics: consider this in conjunction with the 9,967 individuals who lost their lives that year in alcohol related crashes.
A New Generation of Addicts
Studies suggest that most people start using drugs for the first time when they are teenagers: of the 2.8 million new drug users from 2013 over half were adolescents under the age of 18. While this statistic is alarming enough, it becomes even more concerning given the shifts in drug use over the past decade thanks to prescription drug manufacturers. Over the past ten years there was a 400% increase in prescription opiate use — coincidentally OxyContin had generated $3.1 billion in profits over that time thanks in large part to misleading branding that made the drug appear safe in the eyes of the public. With over 259 million prescriptions written for painkillers in 2012, one cannot help but think that there is some mass profiteering at the expense of the wellness of the general public. There is a clear connection between addiction and mental illness as 6.8 million addicts also suffer from some form of mental illness likely only made worse by prescription painkillers. In addition to painkillers, drugs like Adderall are also becoming widely distributed to youth with nearly 14 million monthly prescriptions in 2011 — it is likely that todays figures are even higher. With the prevalence of drugs being provided through pharmaceutical companies, one has to wonder if they are trying to make addicts of all of us.
Why Ibogaine May Break the Cycle
Given the disturbing connection between the government and big pharmaceutical companies, it is no wonder why Ibogaine remains listed as a schedule-I substance in the United States. A naturally occurring substance found in a West African shrub, Ibogaine has been used for millennia by native people as a psychedelic source of spiritual power and a rite of passage. Although illegal in the United States, Ibogaine remains unregulated throughout Canada and Mexico, meaning that a number of Ibogaine detox programs have been established in these countries. Ibogaine detox not only offers psychotic experiences to help curve withdrawal symptoms, but it is then followed by an introspective phase that allows the addict to come to terms with the cause of their addiction and resolve it through a personal process. Ibogaine detox treatments are more successful than typical treatments which have a relapse rate of anywhere from 50% to 90% within six months. Ibogaine detox treatments have been proven successful for alcohol addiction, Adderall addiction, OxyContin addiction, and other drug addictions; contact a detox center to start fresh.
