The TALES of 2 Epidemics–WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Question have you ever watched the 1991 movie New Jack City?

The plot was simple–INTRODUCE crack-cocaine to the streets of New York and show the mis-educated what the American dream in regards to big business of drugs, money, slavery and being thy brother’s keeper looks like.

The movie New Jack City–informed  the world to an epidemic that plagued the black communities, and  displayed how the (system) was not prepared for an epidemic of that proportion.

 Now, before we go any further, let’s understand  what is the  definition    for the word epidemic?

According to the Merriam-Webster– an epidemic affects a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time.

 According to Wikipedia, an epidemic may be restricted to one location; however, if it spreads to other countries or continents and affects a substantial number of people, it may be termed a pandemic.

My question for you  to ponder is this..

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED from the crack epidemic to education those suffering with the opioid epidemic?

 Well, in 2017, there has been an active push to be more empathetic, to tackle the problem of the opioid epidemic at its source. The (system)  now wants  to treat addiction as an illness rather than punish those stricken by it.  When people wonder why the cycle of poverty exists with those in the crack epidemic versus those of the opioid epidemic, here are some factors the (system) should consider.

 1. Recognize the precipitating factors that  the crack epidemic and the opioid epidemic are the same, just different colors.

 2.Understand why certain areas are being targeted and  remain depressed.

3.  Understand history acknowledgement of Hidden Figures and the  100:1 crack to opioid  sentencing disparity.

4. Recognize the fact that if marijuana was decriminalized in the ’80s, and that if many  Americans didn’t continually have their civil rights violated while being disproportionately targeted by law enforcement in large cities, things would look a lot different. Learn more here from a different  perspective.

If you or someone you know need help with substance abuse or mental health issues–in the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline. 

 #Courage2MoveMountains