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ment. But most of the wodd's nations
dismiss the whole situation as "an
American problem" and give it little
more than lip service!
However, now that many European
oations recogoize a burgeoning narcotics
problem, they have begun to become
more interested in policing the narcotics
traffic.
It has been suggested that the real
solution to the narcotics traffic is to
reform all drug addicts.
If
the individ–
ual addicts can be cured, reformed,
rehabilitated, the drug traffic will die
out because there is no market.
The problem with this "solution,"
however, is that the overwhelming
majority of heroin addicts who have
been treated and weaned away from
dope have gone right back to it when
they had a chance - well over
90
per–
cent of them!
The fact is, a society whích tends to
foster
drug addíction is in a very poor
position to
mre
drug addiction.
The modern social system, with its
ghetto areas, crime, hypocrisies, immo–
rality, Jack of real pupose, is largely
responsible for causing young people to
"turn on" with drugs
as
an escape.
Therefore, the solution to the prob–
lem of drug addiction and narcotics
smuggling also involves the rehabilita–
tion of society itself!
That means new education programs,
especially for young people in our cities.
That means reconstruction programs
to rebuild miserable ghetto areas, to
eradicate rat-infested tenement houses,
dilapidated apartment buildíngs, envi–
ronments which cause people to want to
"escape."
It
means educating the idle
affiuent in higher values and a better
purpose in life.
l ndictment of Morality
Drug traffic and abuse show no signs
of letting up for one basic reason -
there is something wrong with modern
society around the world. The explosion
in drug abuse and smuggling is an
indictment of the
immorality
of our
modern age - the irnmorality of many
national governments who really do
little or nothing to stop the sinister
trade - the immorality of the peddlers
and pushers who make money from the
The
PLAIN TRUTH
miseries of the "junkie" - the immo–
rality of the growing numbers who turn
to drugs for excitement, thrills, fun,
and pleasure.
Every figure involved in the dope
traffic stands to make a fantastic profit.
There is an innumerable string of pay–
offs all thc way down the lin'e, from the
Turkish farmer to the pusher in the big
city streets or at the neighborhood
school.
To stop the
~ope
traffic - to smash
the ínternational dope racket - will
require more than strict natíonal laws
and effective policing of bordees and
ports of entry. Although strong law
enforcement efforts are definitely needed,
they alone will not solve the problem.
International cooperation is also needed,
but it is very slow in comiog and thus
far has accomplished very little.
Before the dope syndicate can be
crushed, our whole modern society
needs
changing,
so that the values and
morals of individuals are upgraded. The .
drug scene is essentially an immoral
scene - a big "cop-out" on life.
If
young people in the big cities and in
the countryside were taught strong basic
morality from childhood - íf they were
educated in the home, school and
churches
to
be strong minded, cou–
rageous, effective citizens with high
moral standards - then they would not
fall victim to drugs. They would know
better than to fool around with heroin,
or acid, or pills, or any other narcotic.
They would not allow themselves to be
Íempted!
So,
until there is a sudden about-face
in the
direction
young people are going,
and the direction society itself is taking
- until there is a sudden renaissance of
morality and high personal values -
until young and old alike admit there
is more to life than merely making
money or having "fun," society will con–
tinue to be deluged by dmgs, with
more and more lives being wrccked,
devastated, and ruined in thc process!
The current explosion in dope smug–
gling and abuse portends a fright–
ening future filled with more fanatical,
wild-eyed hippie dans, more lazy,
inert, ambitionless blobs of humanity
drifting through life, a weakened,
escapist society, millions of sick and
Macch I97l
burned-out lives, and increasing hope–
lessness.
Drug abuse exists only because cor–
ruption is rampant around the world
and personal integrity and morality is at
an all-time low.
Only
when there is a
vast
RENEWAL
of morality and personal
character development will the drug
traffic cease to Row. Though this may
secm like a simplistic solutioo to some
sophisticated intellectuals, they must con–
fess that
11othing else has 1vorked,
and
the prognosis for the future is not good.
Moral Instrucrion Needed
When it comes to instruction of rnor–
ality, modern schools and even churches
have "copped out." Many modero
homes, as well, have abdicated their
part
in
this responsibility. Is it any
wonder, then, that iocreasingly young
people are trying drugs, seeking, search–
ing for sorne meaning in life?
In a society where morality is threat–
ened, where morality is not taught vig–
orously throughout youth, the diiference
between right and wrong becomes
blurred and obscured. Young people
bcgin to wonder,
"Why shotddn't l
smoke pot, drop acid, or shoot heroin ?"
And the older generation, lacking strong
morals itself, has no ready, convincing,
solid answer!
A child's character and moral stan–
dards are largely determined by his
early home life. Children more likely
to take dmgs are those from broken or
unhappy bornes, homes where the par–
ents did not spend enough time with
their offspring, or went to the opposite
extreme and "spoiled" them. But chil–
dren from sol id, stable, balanced homes
where high standards of morality are
practiced, and where
/ove
is expressed,
are much less likely to go the drug
route!
The solution to the drug problem líes
largely with you. What kind of borne is
YOUR
home?
If
you want to protect
your children from drugs, then you
need to write for our free booklets:
Neu· Facts Abolll
Marijt~ana,-
Hippies –
Hypocrisy and Happiness,-
and
The
Plain Tmth About Child Rearing.
We
would be most happy to send your
copies to you as soon as we receive your
request . O