AHS Views

There are more young African Americans in jail than there are Whites or Hispanics, and a large percentage are there because of drug crimes. Drug addiction help could have saved many of them from jail time. One report states that 37% of African Americans born in 2001 can expect to spend time in jail. If they received drug education, it may save them from needing addiction help, and jail. It would help if athletes and musicians stopped referring to their own drug use - it leads to more drug use and subsequent addiction help and jail time for their admirers.

In case you missed it, Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks admitted to pot use. The NBA has already said there is nothing they can do. Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks, said it would be handled privately by the team. If you believe that young people look up to athletes like Mr. Howard, you have wonder what he was thinking during his interview. I wonder how many more young people will need drug addiction help because of this strange admission by Mr. Howard.

In the music industry, references to drug use in rap songs have increased 600% since the 70’s. This doesn’t provide the leadership young people need. Dr. Dre’s infamous references to drug use in the early nineties, for example, do have an effect.

These two examples may be small issues relative to other problems in society, but where Dr. Dre helps to lay the ground work in the early 90’s, Josh Howard helps lay the ground work today.

Maybe if someone showed Mr. Howard some of the statistics above he would try to be a better example for the young people of today. Marijuana is not a healthy choice, for some it leads to the need for addiction help services.