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&# 65279; The extermination of illegal drugs has always been one of the most important, worldwide issues. Ending the existence of drug abuse in our society is one of the toughest and most complicated goals we face. Despite constant battles against them, illegal substances continue to exist and thrive in our culture. With all the effort put into the war against drugs, why is there little success?
Lack of effort is not the reason our attempts are failing. It is the lack of understanding that leads to the misdirection and failure of our attempts. Obviously a strong desire to use drugs exists, and it is the prevention of this desire that we need to focus on in order to wipe out drug abuse. In fact, our focus is strongly on punishing drug users, yet applying laws against committed drug crimes has not proven to be an effective solution. Drugs are still produced and distributed everywhere, and are taken by many. The reasons people use drugs still exist.
Arresting people for drugs does not kill their desire to use them. Reprimanding committed crimes does not eliminate the reason they were committed. Addressing drug offenses after they have been made is not an effective deterrent because the desire for the drugs effect still remains. Why is this desire more influential than the law? Partly because the potential benefits of drugs overwhelm us, and turn our focus away from the potential dangers and consequences. People will go to extreme lengths to be the best, or better than what they presently are.
Cultures attitudes toward beauty, money, power as a representation for success drives us to turn to drugs. Drugs symbolize power, status, freedom, and the ultimate? high? in our world. Drugs can help people achieve higher status, more power, as well as the overwhelming physical and emotional? escape. ?
Ultimately, the desire for the drug high is worth the risk which we conceive to be very small of being caught. In reality, the risk of getting caught is extremely slim. Only a small percentage of all drug crimes do get caught, so our fear of the law is minimal. Therefore, we continue to use drugs, and are rarely deterred by the infrequent actions taken to stop what we so badly want to achieve. In addition, many people are willing to risk getting caught, because the benefits of drugs outweigh the risks.
Despite our strong cultural expectations which encourage this rampant drug use, we continue to rely on the law to solve the drug problem. Today, one popular technique is closing down high-drug use establishments, the most prevalent in our country being nightclubs. These exist for peoples pleasure, and serve as a site of experimentation and enjoyment; in many different ways. People are interested in all aspects of clubs, and are drawn into being a part of them. Nightclubs are a combination of many aspects within the entertainment industry; including music, fashion, beauty / modeling and acting. Along with working in, and striving to be a part of, these industries comes the pressure to keep up with the competition.
Those involved in these industries compete just as much as those who are not; generally, everyone strives to achieve what they do not have. Our cultural beliefs about success in these areas include the use of drugs as a means of reaching our goals. Drugs have always been closely linked to the entertainment industry, and regardless of their illegal status, many of us succumb to the temptation. This is often a direct result of the pressure and competition that our culture puts each individual through. We are not easily deterred from using drugs because we refuse to give up our dreams and goals, and often are willing to do whatever it takes along the path to success. These strong values keep laws from stopping our drug use.
While the closing of a nightclub may stop us from using drugs there, it will not stop us from using them somewhere else. Our desire to reach success and be accepted do not die because of an these infrequent, insignificant actions. When an establishment closes down, people can easily find another one which fulfills the same purpose. For example, when a movie theater or restaurant closes, patrons locate another one. No one stops seeing movies because one theater closes. No one stops eating because one restaurant closes.
Needs and desires still exist and are no less important because there is one less way to achieve it. Nightclubs apply the same way. People attend to party, relax, socialize, and be accepted. These desires are not lessened because one place of achieving them is unavailable, they simply need to be fulfilled elsewhere. And they can be because drugs produce the same effects regardless of where they are ingested.
Our world is full of nightclubs and other establishments that attract and contain high amounts of drugs. New establishments open constantly. If one closes, the activity which would have taken place there moves elsewhere. Recently, Manhattans busiest nightclub, Limelight, was closed by the police. The weekend after its close, three other top Manhattan nightclubs recorded a significant increase in attendants. The approximately one-thousand regulars from Limelight dispersed throughout the other three clubs.
Regardless of the closing, the same people still went out. The same people still did drugs. The only change was their location. Results proved that intended activity was not stopped, it just occurred somewhere else.
The weekend Limelight closed, I spent time at each of the other three main alternative Manhattan nightclubs. After years of attending Limelight, as well as these other clubs, I felt knowledgeable enough to determine what the results of Limelight's close were. I observed change in peoples attitudes and actions, drug use, and overall events of each night. What I saw proved that the closing of one nightclub did not end or change the events of the night. The other clubs were twice as packed, contained significantly more drug use, and served as new locations for former Limelight patrons. I saw the same faces continuing to use drugs, their determination to do this obviously unaffected by the closed club.
I also saw the negative effects of this overcrowding due to the close of Limelight. I saw people passing out from extreme heat and fights occurring, direct results from the massive overcrowding. Many reports of accidents, illness, and physical problems at nightclubs are result of the overcrowding and social conflict, but are seen through the media as a result of illegal drug activity. Despite Limelight's closing, the amount of drug use remained the same, the place where it occurred was the only thing changed. As a frequent club-goer, I have experience and knowledge about what occurs in these clubs. I have seen what draws people to them, and have observed their actions to achieve the desired goals; whether they be social, mental, physical, or financial / career related.
From my experiences, I have learned that nightclubs exist to help people reach these goals, but are not the only way they can be attained. People who attend clubs to seek out drugs do so for many different reasons, all of which still exist even if the nightclub does not. I have seen models addicted to drugs, flocking to nightclubs to be seen and to enjoy the euphoric effects of the music, people and attention. Yet they have another reason for using drugs; to stay thin for their career (which demands this look). The majority of models use drugs consistently for this reason alone, regardless if nightclubs are a part of their lives or not. Cultural beliefs about beauty ideals not anything related to night life causes this use of drugs.
I have seen teenagers influenced by older people, introduced and sometimes hooked onto drugs by them. The lure of the physical? ? high? ? as well as peer pressure and the need for acceptance all contribute to their drug use. These reasons do not exist solely within the confines of nightclubs, rather they are present everywhere in schools, on streets, basically anywhere children are.
Some children find the physical effects of drugs so wonderful, that they will do anything to get it again. I know of children as young as 14 using drugs alone, in their homes, in school many places other than nightclubs, because their only goal is to feel the physical? ? high. ? ? They are unaffected by the closing of a nightclub because they are only focused on the drug, not the surroundings. Children struggling towards adulthood, independence, and confidence without wisdom or knowledge to make educated decisions, often go to extreme lengths (drug use) to fit in. A lot has been written about nightclubs role in our drug problem.
Many have described clubs as? ? drug headquarters? ? where anyone can go to get any drug they want. Without these sources would drugs be harder to find? Certainly, it would not effect the amount of drugs produced. With the same quantity to sell, dealers (formerly inside clubs) would then be on the streets, seeking out customers.
This way, the product is more available to the general public. In addition to those who look for drugs, those who wouldnt ordinarily want them often end up trying them. They are introduced into drugs by are intrigue and curiosity, as well as the clever coercion of dealers who have no qualms about approaching anyone and everyone they can find. A drug addict always knows where and how to get what they need.
And as long as there is someone who wants a drug, there is someone else there to supply it
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