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| Addiction/Substance
Abuse |
The Toll of Addiction
The toll that
substance abuse and drug addiction inflict, whether directly or indirectly are
enormous. From the raving addict to the innocent child born with opiates,
crack, or HIV in his bloodstream none are exempt from the affects. Millions of
tax dollars are spent yearly to clean up or treat the after effects of
addiction and millions more are spent annually in an attempt to disrupt the
trade in cocaine and narcotics. These efforts have been an uphill battle and,
in many cases, an embarrassing failure. A case in point is the $2.7 million
spent in 1985 by the U.S. government to aid anti-drug programs in Bolivia.
Despite that effort, the United States was unable to eliminate the growth of a
single coca plant in that country. To date, the sale and abuse of drugs
continue to plague our Society despite the many costly and dangerous attempts
that have been made to control them. The economics, politics, and corruption
that are part and parcel of the drug trafficking business have set up
formidable obstacles to any opposition. Consequently, illegal drugs continue to
find their way into our cities, smuggled over our borders and into the hands of
those waiting to abuse them.
Because efforts to reduce the supply of
illicit drugs are proving unsuccessful, the logical alternative has become
reducing the demand for them. This is a matter of raising aware ness of the
dangers of drug abuse and of finding alternative solutions for people who turn
to drugs in an effort to cope with the world around them. It is the purpose of
Atlanta Recovery Center to aid the community in successful prevention through
its "Outreach
Program" and help all of society with a successful "Rehabilitation
program". |
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