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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2019)
February 27, 2019 Page 13 O PINION MCS Still in Business Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area Addiction Doesn’t Start at the Border Treat the root causes instead J ill r ichardson As the sis- ter of a brother lost to an opi- oid overdose, Trump’s claim that we need a border wall in order to keep drugs out is offensive to me on multiple levels. Fact checkers also report that his claims are not true — a border wall would not keep drugs out of our country. After the death of my brother a decade ago, I went looking for answers about drugs and addic- tion. Gabor Mate, a medical doc- tor who treats addics in Vancou- ver, B.C., found that his patients had all suffered severe trauma before succumbing to addiction. He wrote a book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, explaining how trauma makes the brain more sus- ceptible to addiction. That was also the finding of the Adverse Childhood Experiences study. The study surveyed patients about whether they experienced 10 different types of stressful or by traumatic experiences in child- hood: various types of abuse, par- ents divorcing, a parent going to prison, or a parent suffering addic- tion or mental illness. Then it cor- related their scores with a number of illnesses. The higher your adverse expe- riences score, the more likely you are to suffer alcoholism, drug ad- diction, or a host of other health problems. My brother and I both experi- enced childhood trauma. I ended up suffering anxiety, depression and chronic migraines. He devel- oped panic attacks and coped with pain took a form that was less deadly and more conducive to getting help. His death was my catalyst to get therapy. It’s taken a decade, but I finally feel like my life has turned around. When just getting through ev- eryday life hurts so very much, drugs present a welcome relief. I don’t think I’m a better person than he was; I was just luckier. Trauma left him susceptible to addiction, and for some reason it just landed me with 20 years of migraines. The U.S. has tried to solve its drug problem by cutting off the The U.S. has tried to solve its drug problem by cutting off the supply of drugs coming through its borders since at least the 1980s. It hasn’t worked. his pain by binge eating and using drugs. I’m told the day he over- dosed was only the third time he’d ever used heroin. He was alone in his apartment, age 23. Through random chance, I was luckier than he was. Life dealt us both severe pain, but for me the supply of drugs coming through its borders since at least the 1980s. It hasn’t worked. Neither has pris- on sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. In fact, these approach- es have only made the problem worse, and created many others besides. If we want to cut down on our drug problem, we need to cut down on the factors that cause ad- diction in the first place. We must work on reducing the amount of trauma, poverty, and despair Americans experience and offer help to those who’ve suffered so they can overcome it. We should also reduce demand for illegal drugs by offering safe, le- gal, and regulated drugs when they can provide health benefits, as med- ical marijuana has done for me. Even if a border wall were a cost effective and feasible way to keep drugs from coming over the border (which according to virtu- ally every expert, it isn’t), it would do nothing to address the root causes of addiction in America. When people are in pain, they’ll find a way to get drugs. So long as there’s a market for illegal drugs, traffickers will find ways to pro- duce them here or bring them in. The real answer to the illegal drug trade is addressing the root causes of addiction. OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is pursuing a PhD in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in San Diego. Distributed by Other- Words.org. (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
