The stigma around what an addict looks like is something that needs to be shattered. I really like the ad. Scare tactics are stupid and hurtful. They destroy th

The stigma around what an addict looks like is something that needs to be shattered. I really like the ad. Scare tactics are stupid and hurtful. They destroy the debate and vilify people that need care. People take drugs for reasons. People use meth to get some pep to hang drywall to feed their kids or study for college to get a better life. Sometimes that spirals way out of control but also sometimes people are lifetime addicts with deep private problems and nearly no one knows what they are struggling with. It's never popular to say, but there are people out there that use hard drugs and do not have regrettable experiences and maintain a happy life with them. We will never have a count of them because it's not like they can self report easily. All of our statistics are from people who have medical or legal complications. Many years ago I was a low voltage / home theater technician. One of my favorite customers was a 70 year old retired gentleman who didn't seem to be aware that he was an obvious junkie. He had been on large amounts of oxycontin after a back surgery years before. I grew up around heroin junkies and it was plain as day to me. Him and his wife were the nicest people and would frequently ask me to stay for dinner. He would sometimes get the nods at the table and have to retreat to the sofa. He had a huge "junkie sweet tooth" and liked to create sweet snacks while stoned. He would come in glassy-eyed while I would be wedged under a desk running wires and offer me red vines and talk about his snack ideas and show me pictures of his grandkids. One of the best was ritz cracker peanut butter sandwiches dipped in chocolate and frozen. Highly recommend. You could tell that they were kind people who had never lived a life where drug usage was normal. He loved college football and was sort of an archivist of the history of different stadiums. They had adult children that were happy and productive. I would bet money neither he or his wife had ever smoked weed or even had more than a handful of regrettable hangovers. I felt so sad knowing what they are going through every day and the inevitable results of his addiction. A lot of times intense drug usage follows traumatic events in people's lives and resolves itself nearly silently in about 5 years[0]. We all have most likely have a few people in our lives struggling silently because of stigma. Living a dual life because of the sort or rhetoric put out by DARE or Faces of Meth. Suffering silently increases anxiety and amplifies dependance. "Meth. We're on it." is a much needed take on how to tackle the issue in public discourse. Drug dependance is not a moral failing. It can happen to you. Addicts need love and understanding and it's our duty as fellow humans to provide it. [0] https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/1-in-10-americans-report-having-resolved-a-significant-substance-use-problem/ https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/1-in-10-americ...