Budget cuts are a grim reality in my state, as in many. But cutting prison substance abuse programs isn’t where I’d want to do it. I’m seeing too many guys who should be in treatment declared ineligible — especially first-time offenders, often young, who have histories indicating heavy use of alcohol, marijuana, or both.
I suppose some people figure these are relatively “minor” drugs — shoot, alcohol is even legal, at least as long as you’re over 21 — and not worthy of that much concern. Perhaps they need to read the recent news releases about binge drinkers and how often they get behind the wheel while sloshed. According to a September 1 article by the Associated Press, a survey of 14,000 binge drinkers (those who admit to consuming five or more drinks at a sitting at least once a month) revealed that 12% of them admitted to getting behind the wheel and driving after their last binge. That alone ought to be reason for some concern. Too, alcohol serves as “courage in a bottle” or a convenient excuse for a lot of crimes ranging from robbery to date rape to partner abuse. Then there’s the lovely health effects of chronic drinking — cirrhosis of the liver, elevated risk of GI tract cancers, premature aging. (In the mental health population, heavy drinkers are notoriously easy to spot by the time they’re in their mid-thirties or so; they usually look at least 10 years older than their stated ages, especially if they also smoke.)
Marijuana is not exactly harmless either, no matter what its advocates think. I’m not talking about casual use of a few joints a week, which I suppose can be compared to having one or two beers or a glass of wine every so often; people may disapprove for various reasons, but at that level it’s not likely to hurt you. And I will admit right now that it is high time (excuse the pun) that medical research got back to exploring the possible benefits and uses of cannabinoids. But heavy, regular consumption of marijuana is something else again. There’s a fair amount of research indicating that this stuff can trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals; the smoke is loaded with cancer-causing agents; and in my experience, chronic users tend to be either pretty irritable or highly anxious, especially when they can’t get their weed any more. (Of course, this could be a chicken-and-the-egg thing, but even if the mood symptoms came first, the pot sure isn’t helping the person learn how to manage them effectively.) Not to mention that anything bought on the street isn’t exactly standardized, so unless you grow your own, you’re taking your chances as to both the potency of the weed and what else may be included in your toke — a little insecticide, maybe, some oregano for filler, or maybe even a little cocaine or PCP to give it some added kick.
That’s not all there is to it. A lot of my inmates started using alcohol, marijuana, or both in their early teens, and a fair minority indicate that they started using before the age of 10. I’ve met a few who’ve told me that their parents or other caretakers used to put booze in their bottles when they were just tots. Now, you can argue that social use of these substances by responsible adults is no big deal, but I don’t know of anyone who thinks exposing a child’s developing brain to powerful psychoactive substances on a regular basis is a terribly good idea except by prescription and under a doctor’s supervision. (And you can find plenty of debate out there on whether even that’s a good idea; the use of medication for pediatric mental health issues, especially off-label use, is a hot topic indeed.) In teenagers, the development isn’t quite as rapid, but the risk of harm to developing areas of the brain is still there.
Treating these inmates has more importance than helping steer them away from repeat trips through prison, though it surely helps even that. Most of these first-timers will be fathers and mothers someday, if they aren’t already. Helping them deal with their substance abuse issues isn’t just for their own sakes, but for those of their future or existing families, so that the cycle of abuse and damage is less likely to be passed on. And that reduces everyone’s costs, personal and financial, in the long run. Isn’t that worth spending some money on here and now?
Tags: brain development, budget cuts, mental health, prison, substance abuse
