THEJUNKIEMANIFESTO
by Rose St. Brigid
“When you stop growing you start dying. An addict never stops growing.”
WilliamS.Burroughs
For Junkie Scholar Nation
PREFACE
“This is not a memoir”
PARTONE
“What is addiction?”
PARTTWO
“Public concern ”
PARTTHREE
“The junkie identity”
THEMANIFESTO
“Junkie Society and Its Future”
PREFACE
“This is not a memoir”
Ifyoustripawayallofthespecificpersonaldetails,everyaddicthasalmostthe samestory.Indeed,the“monomyth”ofdrugaddictioninAmericancultureisaboutas clearlyrecognizablewithinmodernmediaasthehero’sjourney1 iswithintraditional folklore.Thejunkie’sjourney,bycomparison,isevidentlyoneofcrisis,ecstasy,decay, and,ifoneisespeciallylucky,personalorspiritualtransformation.It’snosurprisethen thatrecurrentexamplesofthischaracterarcareprominentthroughoutliterature,film,and televisionofthelast100years.
Inhis1953semi-autobiographicalnovel Junky: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict,forinstance,authorWilliamS.Burroughswritesoftheaddict’sorigins: mostpeople,hesays,“didnotstartusingdrugsforanyreasontheycanremember.They justdriftedalonguntiltheygothooked”InonescenefromAbelFerrara’s1995 allegoricalvampiremovie The Addiction,thechemicallydependentprotagonistKathleen layssedatedinherbathroom,injectingavialof“blood”aspoignantmemoriesfromher pastflashacrossthescreen(Fig 1) “Wedrinktoescapethefactwe’realcoholics,”she saysofthepervasivenessofthedrugdependencycycle.Existenceismerely“thesearch forrelieffromourhabit,andourhabitistheonlyreliefwecanfind.”Inamorerecent example,duringthefirstseasonofthe2008TVshow Breaking Bad,methuserJesse PinkmanistalkingwithhisyoungerbrotherJakewhentheirmotherpointedlyopensthe closedbedroomdoor.Jessescoffs,mockinghersarcastically,“like,‘oh,wecan’tletthat scumbag warpthemindofourfavoriteson,’”highlightingthefamilialconflictseemingly inherentwithinhouseholdsaffectedbyaddiction.Jakerepliesalmostdisinterestedly:
“I’mthefavorite?Yeahright.You’repracticallyalltheyevertalkabout.”
1 Inliterature,theconceptofthe“hero’sjourney”referstoacommonplottemplateinwhich“ahero venturesforthfromtheworldofcommondayintoaregionofsupernaturalwonder…[andthen]comes backfromthismysteriousadventurewiththepowertobestowboonsonhisfellowman”(Campbell).
Thisisnotamemoir.Anyonewhohaseverknowntheaddict’s“specialneed”2 understandstherelentless,sometimesagonizingexperienceofdrugdependency,andyet itispointlessformetotryandconveythesefeelingstothereaderwhetheryouarea fellowjunkieornot.Bycontrast,theaimofthismanifestoistoatleastattemptto provideasuccinctinterpretationofwhatsocietybelievesaboutaddiction,andmore importantly,whatitgetswrongaboutitonaculturallevel InthewordsofFriedrech Engels,“thefreedevelopmentofeachistheconditionforthefreedevelopmentofall.” Onlyonceweconsiderandcorrectthelies,assumptions,andmisgivingsaboutthe averageaddictcanwethenmoveontomoremeaningfulcreativeportrayalsofthedeeply personalplightoftheindividual.
2 Burroughs,WilliamS. Junkie: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict.1953.
PARTONE
“What is addiction?”
Whatis,ormoreappropriately, who is,ajunkie?Consideringtheincreasedpublic attentionontheso-calledopioidcrisis,it’scrucialtoestablishwhatwordslike “addiction”and“drugabuse”meanintoday’slexicon.Consequently,is“substanceuse”a behavior,adisease,adisability,orsomethingelseentirely?Beforemovingontomore abstracttopicsaboutaddiction,I’dliketogetallofthesebasicdefinitionsandquestions outofthewayinordertomaximizeclarityandunderstanding.
Firstly:whatisaddictionitself?AccordingtoHarvardMedicalSchool’s DictionaryofHealthTerms,addictioncanbedefinedasa“lossofcontroloverindulging inasubstanceorperforminganactionorbehavior,andcontinuedcravingforitdespite negativeconsequences”
3 Forexample,sayapersonisaddictedtoalcohol;thismeans theyhavetotakeiteveryday,theyexperiencepsychologicalandphysicalcravingsforit, theybecomeilliftheyskipadrink,andtheywillignorethenegativesocialandlegal consequencesthatarisefromthepersistentuseofitbecausetheyareaddicted Asthe words“actionorbehavior”suggests,however,addictioncanalsooccursanssubstance abuse forinstance,inthecaseofgamblingaddictionorpornographyaddiction,those dopamine-stimulatingactivitiesactasthepseudo“drug”
Operatingonthisdefinition,an“addict”isthusapersonexhibitingsignsof addiction.However,thewordaddictisnotusedasaclinicaldiagnosticterm,atleastnot intheUnitedStates.Peopleexperiencingaddictionareformallydiagnosedwith
SubstanceUseDisorder(SUD),whichischaracterizedbytheDSM-5asinvolving “impairedcontroloversubstanceuse,socialimpairment,riskyuse,andpharmacologic dependence.”4 SUDisalsoclassifiedintosubcategoriesbasedonthedrugbeing used OpioidUseDisorder,StimulantUseDisorder,andsoonandsoforth.Someone
3 MedicalDictionaryofHealthTerms:A-C
4 Table3,DSM-5DiagnosticCriteriaforDiagnosingandClassifyingSubstanceUseDisorders[abc]
withOpioidUseDisorderwouldbephysicallydependentonadruglikeheroin, oxycodone,orfentanyl,whilstalsoexhibitingtheaforementionedsignsofaddiction.
RegardingthelastcharacteristicoftheDSM-5diagnosis,theNationalInstituteon DrugAbusenotesthatchemicaldependency“developswhentheneuronsadaptto repeateddrugexposureandonlyfunctionnormallyinthepresenceofthedrug,”5 butthat itcanoccurindependentfromaddictionandSubstanceUseDisorders Manypeopleare physicallydependentonpainkillerslikemorphineorprescriptionstimulantslike Adderall,buttheydonotexperiencethelossofselfcontrolandnegativesocial consequencesthatarerequiredforaformaldiagnosisofanSUD Forsomeonewhois chemicallydependentondrugsbutnotaddictedtothem,theirrelationshipwiththe substancewouldbenodifferentthanthewaysomeonewithdiabetesrequiresinsulin,or thewaysomeonewithschizophreniawouldrequireanantipsychoticmedication
Justlikesomeonecanbedrugdependentwithoutbeinganaddict,onemaybe addictedwithoutbeingdrugdependent.Whilethebehavioraladdictionspreviously mentionedarethemostobviousinstancesofthis,somedrugslikemarijuanamaynot causephysicaldependence,butarestill“addictive”inthebehavioralsense.Onemaynot “need”tosmokepoteverydayinordertoavoidsickness,howeversomepeoplewilldrain theirbankaccount,riskincarceration,andignorethenegativesocialconsequencesof consumingmarijuanaiftheyareindeedaddicted
Lastly,whoisajunkie?Forthepurposeofthisessay,Idefine“junkie”asan individualwhoischemicallydependentonopioids.Youcanbeanaddictandnotbea junkie,justasyoucanbechemicallydependentandnotbeanaddict Becauseofmany extenuatingfactors,mostjunkies are addicts,butyoudonot need tobeaddictedtobea junkie.Themostobviousexampleofthisispeople,likemyself,whoarechemically dependentonbuprenorphine,alegalopioid
Nowthatwehavegottensomeofthebasicsoutoftheway,wecanhopefully moveontoamoremeaningfuldiscussionoftheculturalphenomenonofaddictionand alsomediatesomeofthequestionsonemighthaveaboutwhataddictsandjunkieswant fromtheirlives.Thefollowingpartswillincludeaprimeronthepublicconcern
5 Whatisthedifferencebetweendrugaddictionandchemicaldependency?
surroundingtheopioidepidemicaswellasadiscussionofthefailuresofprohibition,and adeepdiveintowhatitisreallylikebeinganaddictinAmerica.Finally,Ishallconclude withmytenpointmanifestoonthefailuresofanti-addictionpolicyandrhetoricfromthe perspectiveofsomeonewhohasseentheinsandoutsofthe“addictionindustrial complex.”
PARTTWO
“Public concern ”
Lookingbackintime,itseemslikeeverygenerationhastheirowndefiningdrug crisis.Attheadventofthe20thcentury,fearof“reefermadness”spreadacrossthenation likewildfire(Fig.2).Duringthe1960sand70s,psychedelicsbecamesynonymouswith hippiedegeneracyandtheeraoffreelove.Inthe80s,crackwas“whack,”andbytheend ofthe90s,heroinwasnolonger“chic.”Butifthe2000sand10swereahalcyondazeof clubdrugs,Xanax,andfruit-flavoredschnapps,thenthe2020sareshapinguptobea brutallybadhangover.
Ifyoulookatanynewswebsitesorpullupanysocialmediafeed,youarelikelyto beexposedtostoriesaboutopioidaddictioninsomeformoranother.Accordingto Googlesearchtrendsfrompost-2004,internetsearchesforwordslike“opioid”and “fentanyl”haveexplodedinpopularityoverthelastfewyears,highlightingapublic concern,orperhapsmorbidcuriosity,abouttheoverdosecrisis.InAprilof2022,for
Fig 2:Gasnier,LouisJ Reefer Madness 1936
instance,theUnitedStatesDrugEnforcementAgency(DEA)announced6 thatthe numberofnationwideopioidoverdosedeathshadsparkedtoanall-timenational high nopunintended
Ina2022letterciting7 thesefindings,FloridaAttorneyGeneralAshelyMoody urgedPresidentJoeBidentoclassifytheopioiddrugfentanylasa“weaponofmass destruction”capableofdecimatingthepopulationinwayscomparableto9/11andthe VietnamWar.“Enoughfentanylhasbeenseizedinthelastyeartokilleveryman, woman,andchildintheUnitedStatesseveraltimesover,”Moodywrites.“Theamounts being[ ]seizedareinconsistentwithwhatonewouldexpectfromdrugtrafficking activityandareindicativeofeitherpurposefulconspiracytomurderAmericansoran efforttostockpileadangerouschemicalweapon.”
Moody’sinappropriateuseof9/11hyperbolesaside,opioid-relateddeathshave indeedbeenontherise.AccordingtotheCenterforDiseaseControl(CDC),fentanyl8 is responsibleforthelargestnumberofdrugoverdosefatalitiesnationwide.TheFlorida DepartmentofLawEnforcement(FDLE)reportedthatbetween2009and2020,deaths causedbyfentanylinmyhomestateofFlorida9 increasedfrom1,667to2,622 an impressive58%escalation.
Yet,ifthecurrentopioidepidemicissopressing,whyareourgovernmentofficials soreluctanttotakeproactivemeasurestomediateit?Inhercampaignads,Moody championedherselfassomethingofan“anti-opioid”crusader.Sincehersuccessful electionin2018,theFloridaAttorneyGeneral’sofficehassuccessfullysued10 multiple prescriptiondrugcompaniesandpharmaciesfortheirroleinimproperlymarketing addictivemedicationslikeoxycodoneintheearly2000sand10s.Accordingtothose lawsuits,aportionofthemillionswonwillgotowardFlorida’s“cities”and “municipalities”inordertofundopioidabusepreventionefforts
Thismightseemlikeastepintherightdirection,althoughwhetherornotthis moneywillbeputtoadequateusedependsonone’sowndefinitionofproperand effective“preventionefforts”Manyaddictiontreatmentprofessionalshavebeenclearon thestrategiesneededtoaddressthecrisis,includingincreasingsuppliesof“accessible naloxone”beyondpoliceandcriminaljusticestockpiles,andprovidingaccesstoboth “safeconsumptionsitesandasafesupplyofregulateddrugs”(Fig 3) Andyet,such measureshavebeenmetwithoutrageandcontroversy.
InaJune2022TwittertiradeagainsttheNewYorkCityDepartmentofPublic Health’sharmreductionefforts,Moodysaidneedleexchangeprograms,naloxoneclinics, andsafeinjectionsitesactually“empoweraddiction,”callingharmreductionoutreacha “reckless”and“deadly”11 practice.AccordingtoRahulGupta,theDirectorofNational DrugControlPolicy,“thepotentialpolicies”suggestedbyMoodyandotherlikeminded lawmakersacrosspartylines“willonlyexacerbateanout-of-controlepidemic.”
12 Forthat reason,acommonadagewithintheharmreductionmovementisthat“everyoverdoseis apolicyfailure.”
11 FloridaAGAshleyMoody:NYCHealthDept.adsempowering'safe'druguseare‘deadly’
12 RepublicansWanttoDeclareFentanyla‘WeaponofMassDestruction.’That’saTerribleIdea.
Fig 3:Cleanneedleexchange National Harm Reduction Coalition
Moody’sprohibitionistperspectiveoperatesonmanyflawedassumptions:1)it presumesthatalldruguserswouldchooseabstinenceoverdrugsiftheywereprovided (orforcedinto)treatment,2)itconcludesthatalackofsafetyisarealisticdeterrentfor druguse,and3)itproclaimsthatthepunishmentfor“bad”drugusingbehaviorshouldbe theriskofdeath.Furthermore,prohibitionhasdonelittletomeaningfullycombatthe overdosecrisisnationwide InthewordsofphysicianandanthropologistEricReinhart, wealreadyhavea“masscasualtyevent”inourcountryintheformofoverdose,andit’s because“we’vebeeninvestingalmostallourresourcesintopolicingsystemsandmilitary suppressionofillicitsubstances Itdoesn’twork”
Classifyingfentanylasaweaponofmassdestruction“soundslikeadumbidea,” statedDr.AndrewStolbach,aphysicianatJohnsHopkinsHospital.“It’snotaterrorist weapon,andIthinkifwetrytotreatitlikeaterroristproblem[ ]we’rehandlingitthe completelywrongway.”Indeed,politicalscientistDr.AdrianMoore(Ph.D.)writesthat the“fentanylcrisiswillnotberesolvedbydoublingdownonprohibitionpoliciesthat havefailedfordecadesandareactuallyfuelingoverdosedeaths.”AstheinfamousWar onDrugshasshown,fearmongeringaboutdrugabuseinordertojustifyincreased communitypolicingandagreaterauthoritarianpresenceatthesouthernborderdoes nothingtostoptheoverdosedeathsthatareoccurringhereandnow.That’swhatshould bethefocuswhenwetalkabouttheopioidepidemic Nohypotheticalhorrorstories aboutfentanylareneeded.
“The junkie identity”
InordertomoreadequatelyaddressthethreeflawedassumptionsthatI’ve outlinedinPartTwo,it’simportanttofirstunderstandthesubcultureofaddictionthat existsbeyonditsclinicalcriteria.Duringmysophomoreyearofcollege,Itooka PhilosophycoursewhereinIreadmanyarticlesaboutthedisabilityrightsmovement. Oneofthemostcommonideologicalframeworksofdisabilityactivismisthesocial modelofdisability,whichproclaimsthatsocietalbarriersarewhatpreventdisabled individualsfrombeingindependentandequalinsociety.Inthisview,bullyingand prejudice,environmentalbarrierslikeinaccessiblewalkways,andlegaldiscriminationdo moredailyharmtothedisabledpersonthantheharmcausedbythephysicalormental disabilityitself Inthatsamevein,Ialsoreadabouttheautismrightsmovement,inwhich autismisviewedasavariationinthehumanbrainratherthanadiseasetobe“cured,”and howforpeoplewithautism,self-advocacywaspreferredoverpathologization.
WhenIfirstlearnedabouttheseideas,Icouldn’thelpbutconsiderhowthese argumentswouldapplytothetopicofaddiction.WhileIthoughtitwasinappropriateto trytoshoehornSubstanceUseDisorderintothecategoryof“disability”or “neurodiversity,”theframeworksthattheseactivistmovementswerebasedonultimately servedasanimportantjumpingoffpointforwhatlaterbecamemyownphilosophical attitudeaboutaddiction.Similartoboththedisabilityandautismcommunities,addiction hasspawnedauniquesubculturethatexistsbeyondtheclinicaldiagnosisitself,andwhile noteveryjunkieparticipatesinthisculture,itisimportanttoquantifynonetheless.
Likehistoricaldisabilityandautismresearch,addictionresearchhasstudiedand definedaddictsthroughthepathologyor“disease”narrative.AsJoshuaBurraway13 writes,“spaces[ofdruguse],andthelivesofaddictsthemselves,havebeenmarkedby narrativesofdevianceandexclusion,withlittlethoughtgiventothecomplexitiesand
intimaciesthatpervadethem.The‘subcultural’[framework]thusemergedasan analyticalframethroughwhichtoattendtothem.”Bythe1960s,asmallnumberof anthropologistsbegantoutilizethissubculturalmodelofaddictioninordertoconsider thesocialphenomenaofaddictionseparatefromthemereindividualdiagnosisofmental disease.Inthe1969study Taking Care of Business The Heroin User’s Life on the Street, EdwardPrebleandJohnJ CaseyJr studiedtheheroinsubcultureinNewYorkCityand wrotethatamongsttheircommunity,“heroinuserswereactivelyengagedinmeaningful activitiesandrelationships,”andthat“heroinuseprovidedamotivationandrationalefor thepursuitofmeaningfullife,albeitadeviantone”Contrarytopopularbeliefsabout addiction,PrebleandCaseyfoundthattheaddicts’“questforheroin[was]thequestfora meaningfullife,notanescapefromlife,”negatingthecommonnotionthatdruguse inspireslazinessandnihilism
Beyondthatonestudy,addictionsubcultureshaveexistedforcenturies,across manydifferentculturesandsurroundingmanydifferentdrugs Butdosuchsubcultures existbecauseofsomesharedpersonalqualitiesorsenseofcamaraderieamongstaddicts andtheirdealers,orbecausemainstreamsocietyeffectivelypushesdrugusersand peddlerstotheculturalfringe?Burrawaylikewisestatesthat“thewidespreadand
Fig.4:Clark,Larry. Tulsa.1973.
heavy-handedcriminalizationofdrugs,thedominanceofabstinence-basedrecovery programmes,andthepathologizationofaddictionasapsychiatricdisorder”allgestureto thefactthat“heavyformsofintoxication[ ]havenothistoricallybeenseenas somethingtobeextolledormorallyvalued.Accordingly,thosewhoconsumethese substancesareseenastroublesometothedominantorder.Theyexistontheperipheral edgesofculturalnormsandvalues”
Andyet,asBurrawaycontinues,“theso-called‘underworld’ofdrugaddiction,in otherwords,isjustthat–a world;oneteamingwithcomplexformsofsocialitythat cannotbesoeasilyexplainedawaythroughthedehumanizinglanguageofdevianceand moraldecay.”Clearly,humanityhasalwayshadafascinationwithmindandmood alteringsubstances,whetherforreligious,medicinal,orrecreationalmotivations,and drugculturestillpersistsinspiteoflegalandpoliticalpressures Entirevocabulariesand languageshaveevolvedoutofdrugcultures,frommedievalthievescanttothecommon slangoftoday,highlightingthepervasivenessofthe“junkieidentity”beyondtheliteral actofdrugconsumptionitself.Indeed,bookslikeBurroughs’ Naked Lunch aswellas televisionprogramslike Breaking Bad andthephotographyseries Tulsa (Fig.4)focus notonthesocialproblemofaddiction,butontheinterestingintricaciesofthedrug culturesthatsurroundtheuseofthesesubstances almostalwaysfortheentertainment benefitofgawkingonlookerswhocouldn’tcarelessabouttherealityofaddicts’lives Butifthediseasemodelofaddictionisineffective,whatisthesolutiontoboththe overdoseepidemicandthenegativesocialconsequencesofdruguse?Thefollowing manifestoaimstoaddressthisissue
THEMANIFESTO
“Junkie Society and Its Future”
Point I: Bodily Autonomy
Asocietyinwhichsomeonecannotchoosewhatsubstancestoconsumewithout threatoflegalrecourseisnotafreesocietyinanyway.Aboveall,peopleareentitledto dowhattheywanttotheirbodies,includingusingdrugs.Thismantrashoulddictateany andalladdictionpolicy.
Point II. Decriminalization of Drugs and Legalization of Drug Use
Decriminalizingalldrugswilljumpstarttheinitialparadigmshifttowardamore compassionateandpragmaticapproachtodealingwiththenegativeeffectsofaddiction. Byfocusingonimprovingthelivesofdrugusersinsteadofattemptingtoeradicatethe existenceofillegaldrugs,wecancreateanenvironmentinwhichaddictsarerespected andvalued.Whiledecriminalizationaloneisnotapanacea,itisacriticalstepin addictionpolicyandimprovingtheoverallwellbeingofindividualsandcommunities.
Point III: Other Legal Discrimination
BeyondthefactthatmostdrugsareillegalintheUnitedStates,therearealsoa varietyofhiddenformsoflegaldiscriminationthataffectdrugusers Employmentdrug tests,drugtestsforgovernmentbenefits,courtmandatedrehabandotherformsof institutionalization,andsoonandsoforth,effectivelycriminalizeaddiction.
Point IV: Revolutionary Treatment
Treatmentisnottheendallsolutiontoaddiction.Noteveryonewhoisaddictedto drugswantstoseektreatment,andnooneshouldbeforcedintoinstitutionalization (whetherinthecriminaljusticesystemorrehabs)againsttheirwill.Weshouldinstead understandthattherearesomepeoplewhowillneverwanttreatment,whilealso addressingthefactthatmanypeople do wanttreatment,andeithercannotaccessitorare
unsatisfiedwiththeexistingabstinence-onlyoptionsthattheyhave.Aharmreduction perspectiveoperatesontheassumptionthatthereare“tiers”torecoverybothbeyond,and within,abstinence
Point V: Antipsych Approach
Treatmentshouldalsooperateonanantipsychframework Theuseofdrugs shouldbetreatedasfirstandforemostasocialphenomenon,notamentalillness.Drug dependencyisaphysicalillness,yes,andshouldbetreatedwiththeappropriate medicines,includingsafesupplyofdrugs,whichIwilladdressnext,howeverpersistent druguseitselfshouldnotbepathologized.
Point VI: Safe Supply Saves Lives
Safesuppliesofalldrugsneedtobeavailabletothosewhoareaddicted.Inother countries,therearealreadyprogramsinplacethatproviderationsofheroinand painkillerstothosewhoeithercannotuse,orchoosenottouse,streetdrugs.Additionally, forthosewhodesiretotransitionoffof“hard”opioids,bothbuprenorphine (Suboxone/Subutex)andmethadoneshouldbemademoreeasilyavailabletothepublic withnoquestionsasked.Currentlytherearemanyhoopstojumpthroughtogetthese prescriptions,especiallyfortheuninsuredandthehomeless
Point VII: Addressing Homelessness
Drugaddictionandhomelessnessoftengohandinhand Thecostofdrugsonthe streetisastronomicalbecauseoftheirillegality.Byofferingsafe,lowcostsuppliesof drugsthroughclinicsandpharmacies,itwillbecomeeasierforthehomelesstobudget theirexpenses However,thepriceofdrugsisn’ttheonlythingkeepingpeopleonthe streetassomemightbelieve.Sheltersshouldbeprohibitedfromturningawayaddicts, andlowincomehousingprojectsshouldgivepreferencetothosewhoarecurrently homeless.Whilethistopicisnotmyareaofacademicexpertise,theseareafewthingsto considerindiscussionsoftheintersectionbetweenhomelessnessandaddiction.
Point VIII: Building Community
Buildingcommunity,bothphysicallyandliterally,willhelpendthestigmaof addiction InmanyrecoverycircleslikeAAandNA,abstinenceisthenorm Weneedto expandrecoveryeffortstoincludepeoplewhodesirehelpinimprovingtheirlives, withoutmandatingcoldturkeyabstinencefromdrugs.Additionally,manyformsof communalhousinglikesoberlivingsheltersandhalfwayhousesrequireabstinence We shouldbuildourownformsofcommunalshelterthatadvocateforharmreductionand whichsupplysaferationsofdrugs.
Point IX: Prevention Not Prohibition
Bothanti-prohibitionistsandprohibitionistsalikecanagreethatitismucheasier togetsomeonetonottryheroininthefirstplace,thanitistotryandforceaheroin addictintoabstinencefortherestoftheirlife.Inadditiontoharmreductionforthose alreadyaddictedtodrugs,preventionisoneoftheeasiestandsmartestwaystocurbthe harmsofaddictioninthenextgeneration.Yet,currentprohibitionisteffortslikeD.A.R.E. arefailingbecausetheyusecornyscaretacticsandbelittleaddicts,insteadofeducating kidsontherealityofdrugdependency.Itshouldbesaidthatadvocatingforthebodily autonomyandfreechoiceofdrugusersdoesn’tmeanthataddictionshouldbe “glamorized”toyouthassomething“cool,”butrather,shouldbetalkedaboutinaneutral light.
Point
Lastly,beinga“junkiescholar”meansthatyouareeducatedaboutallofthetopics discussedhere,andthatyoufeelyouhavetheindependencetomakedecisionsabout yourownlifewithoutbeingtakenadvantageofbytreatmentproviders,doctors,the criminaljusticesystem,andthegovernment.
X: Be a Junkie Scholar