The Real Danger in Using Drugs

The real danger in using drugs…

  Yes, that’s right; it’s time that we took a look at the real danger that faces the person who uses drugs. Before we go any further, let’s establish that I am qualified and know from firsthand experience of the subject matter. Once upon a time I started using drugs. I found that I did not want to associate with the majority of the other drug users that I knew… and did not much care for the criminal element. In my youthful foolishness and naivety, I decided that the smartest way to address these issues would be to simply educate myself a bit and learn how to manufacture my own supply- and thus eliminate the necessity of having to associate with drug dealers and the rest of the often unsavory crowd of drug users. The result: It worked exactly as I’d hoped it would, for a couple years. Then the inevitable happened; an indiscretion by my (then) girlfriend to a family member led to my arrest. The charges were conspiracy to manufacture and possession of dangerous drugs. And although this crime is one that had no tangible victim, no person that was able to come forward and say, “That guy did me wrong!”, The penalty I paid was costly: 5 years of my freedom. Gone forever. Hopefully we can agree at this point that I am indeed qualified to know about that which I am writing about.

  From my perspective, many years later, in sobriety, I am able to see where the true danger lies in using drugs, at least for someone like me. I am someone who tries to always treat others as I would prefer to be treated. I would rather not own something that I did not earn. I have an intense dislike of bullies and people who make their business (or living) by preying on those whom are weaker, or less intelligent than they are. I know that there are times that it is necessary to do violence, from my time as an honorably discharged US marine, but I do not like violence. I feel that in all cases it is something to be avoided if possible and to be used only as a last resort. I am what could be considered ‘smarter than the average bear’. I.Q. testing places me in the 100th percentile, which means, simplified, that statistically, in a shed of 100 tools, I am likely to be sharper than 90 of them and 10 of them are likely to be sharper than I. The aforementioned is to help give some idea of the type of person that I am, and generally have always been- though I have made my share of mistakes. For a person like me, the danger in using drugs is not that it might cause me to become an evil person, or a dishonorable one, or that using them may cause me to abandon my conscience. The danger does not lie in diseases, that I might have contracted had I become promiscuous, or decided to start using and then sharing needles. The danger lies not in health issues, which might have plagued me if I had decided to stop taking care of myself by eating right and exercise. The danger for someone like me is far more impacting and far reaching than I would ever have guessed, but see ever so clearly now.

  If a person uses drugs, it is likely that they will be caught, eventually. Drug use is a felony crime, unless those drugs were prescribed by a doctor. Once convicted of a felony…… You will for the duration of your life live in a diminished capacity. You will never be forgiven, nor cease to be punished for your foolishness in using drugs. It will matter not a bit that you quit. It won’t matter if you never have any further trouble with the law. Each and every time that you attempt to become employed, you will experience the real danger that has resulted from your having once used drugs. On every job application can be found that section “have you ever been convicted of a felony [or crime]- note- answering ‘yes’ will not automatically disqualify you from consideration for employment” …. You must answer yes, because there will be a background check. These background checks, or perhaps employers in general, do not distinguish between one felony and another; on that you may rest assured. If you are able to become employed at all, trust in that whatever position you become employed in is going to be a great deal below your potential.

  The real danger in drug use is that you shall have a diminished life; yours will be a degraded career potential, one that can never be overcome. Now there is hope, for some. For the right price, you may have your record expunged. This would enable a person to answer ‘no’ to that deceptive question on every job application. If you cannot afford this price, which usually will total in the thousands, then, my friend, you’d better be prepared to one day join me in a life of unending unemployment or underemployment, watching people that are ridiculously less capable than you advance and succeed.   

  Is it worth it? Your call.