There seems to have been an ongoing debate for some time about the importance of building a wall around the southern border of the United States. One of the arguments that the Donald Trump has made to express the urgency is the fact that the border wall would stem the tide of illicit drugs from Mexico. I find myself taking a step back and looking at all the factors.
In years past I have been incredibly naive in anything dealing with politics. I have only cared to keep myself in “the know” when it dealt with healthcare and how the changes that were currently being made would directly affect myself as a nurse as well as my patients. As of recent I have been shocked that one of the main arguments dealt with keeping drugs out of the United States. In 2013 I traveled to the state of Washington with someone who grew up in the beautiful state. I was surprised to learn of the heroin that came from Canada and the number of people this family knew who overdosed and died. This fact does not lead me into arguing whether the wall should be built, where it should be built, or the fact that the country should change what is done at the border at all. To be honest, I am quite neutral on the argument.
What I beg Americans to recognize is not the fact that drugs are coming into our country, but the reasons why drugs are flourishing in our country. We need to redirect our attention to find out why people are needing to get high to the point that they risk their families, their jobs, their dignity, and their lives. Keeping drugs away can surely help, but I was taught that if a person wants something badly enough, they will find a way.
Tune in to the next episode of the First Do No Harm podcast to hear about a way in which cities that are suffering the most from drug overdoses are attempting to help and find a way to fix the problem but attempting to solve the problem by starting with those suffering from addiction.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions that could help those suffering from addiction? How do you think we could help those who constantly need a “fix?” What solutions do you think should be proposed? Share your thoughts in the comments below and have your comments possibly featured on the next podcast!