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After watching "Alcohol and Drug Use and the Cultures of Addiction," you will likely have many questions, such as:
You can ask these questions and more as part of a "live" online discussion with Stacia Murphy, President, National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, on Wednesday, June 18, 2003, from 3 to 4 p.m. EST. Be a part of this lively exchange and mark your calendar today and post your questions in advance in the form below. Flier for Webcast on 6/4/03 and Web chat on /18/03: Alcohol and Drug Use and the Cultures of Addiction Chat TranscriptMODERATOR: The Web chat will begin in 2 minutes. Welcome to the Recovery Month 2003 Web chat. Our host today is Stacia Murphy, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Our topic today is Alcohol and Drug Use and the Cultures of Addiction. This online discussion will examine how the cultures of addiction promote and sustain excessive alcohol and drug use. Please note that the views and opinions expressed by non-CSAT staff members in the Web chats and Webcasts should not be interpreted as official CSAT policy, but as the views and opinions of the individuals participating in these events. Now we are ready for the first question. This question was previously submitted. My boyfriend does drugs and I don't like him doing them! What shall I do, please help me? You should reach out to a group that deals with family members and friends who have addiction problems. Maybe find a local treatment center that deals with family members or a local community group that helps you relate to your boyfriend's problem of addiction. Good luck! MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. What exactly are the cultures of addiction? Stacia Murphy: Addiction cultures are usually organized around the drug of choice, socioeconomic status, and, sometimes, ethnicity. They share the drug they are using as well as any other similarities-who they are and how they see themselves in the larger society. curious george: It appears as though popular culture encourages the use of drugs, specifically marijuana. How can we combat that? Stacia Murphy: We need to get more information out to the public about the dangers of marijuana use and the physical and mental effects on people. The sense that marijuana smoking is the norm…we have to counter that thinking by giving more factual information based on research and new knowledge emerging. This is information that has been lacking, but is now available for people to read, understand, and respond to. mkrocks: How do you think the media portrays the cultures of addiction? Do you feel that youth are deterred from using by what they see, or is it somewhat glamorized? Stacia Murphy: I think that the media has a schizoid approach...one instance it is glamorized by advertising and the availability of alcohol and other drug ads. I think it is also demonized, when you look at how people with addiction problems are portrayed in the media. Although that is changing, usually they have been seen from a certain neighborhood, class…and that still exists to a certain extent. So, there is the glamorization through advertising and the demonization of how people with dependence problems are portrayed. Lee: We're familiar with cultures of addiction. What about the power of the cultures of prevention? Stacia Murphy: I think that we have not tapped into the power of prevention. We generally start dealing with the addiction when the person has moved along the progression of addiction and is often near the end stages. Because it is a progressive disease, people's ability to respond early to the problem and identify early signs of symptoms and take action is not as strong as it should be. And so the power of prevention has not been actualized. MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. How do the cultures of addiction affect the families of those with substance use disorders? Stacia Murphy: People in the throes of addiction exhibit behaviors and attitudes that are devastating to family members. Members often feel powerless because they see their loved ones in trouble, and they don't know how to help them. Often the loved one refuses to help. Over time, the feelings of powerlessness and helplessness turn into anger and, sometimes, isolation from the person with the addiction problem. It affects the family emotionally and begins to disrupt the normalcy of the family system, and family members begin to take on a set of negative behaviors to protect them and, in their mind, protect the person with the addiction problem. Both the afflicted and the affected are in a lot of trouble. Lee: Cultures of addiction must exist in all facets of society. What are your thoughts on cultures of addiction among those who are incarcerated? Stacia Murphy: It is clear that the incarcerated population in this country is extremely high. A significant number of individuals are there due to the use of drugs and the sale of drugs to support their habits…and the sale of drugs is a business venture. I don't know if it is a culture per say, but people in prison respond to whatever the environment allows them to do. If there is an availability of drugs in prison, people will use them. They use them for leverage to gain other things that benefit them or their loved ones. And so it has another look to it-because it is part of a prison system-it is its own culture and often supported by the persons who are responsible for overseeing prison populations. So, there is a lot of covert activity around drugs and prisons. trompshaker: How can we work with the Rave culture and use of Ecstasy among today's youth? Stacia Murphy: The rave and Ecstasy use…the way that we have glamorized this drug is dangerous to young people. The drugs are introduced and portrayed as a normal part of having fun among the younger population. We must aggressively educate family members and young people about the dangers of Ecstasy, the unpredictability of the effect of the drug when it is used, and the very horrible consequences that can and have often occurred to individuals using this drug. Regina B: I was listening to the radio this morning-May "celebrates" the 30th year of the Rockefeller law-the mandatory sentencing laws that have placed a disproportionately high number of Black people in jails. This law, that severely punishes first-time convicts and small-time users has created a culture of its own, wouldn't you agree? Stacia Murphy: The Rockefeller drug laws have been particularly harmful to communities of color in New York. A significant number of women with children who unwittingly became drug mules and, as a result of the law, were incarcerated for long periods of time. Taken away from families, taken away from children, taken away from their communities. The law never allowed for any kind of leeway for judges to respond differently, particularly to first-time offenders or first-time users, and, so, it has had a dramatically negative impact on particularly black and Latino communities. It is imperative that those laws are appealed, not reformed. pamela: To what extent do addicts from different socioeconomic strata interact in the beginning of the recovery process? Does this collision of cultures help or hinder a person's recovery? (Would the time away from the culture that encouraged the addictive behavior be helpful or would they feel a lack of identity with the others in recovery?) Stacia Murphy: When persons enter or start the early stages of recovery, they are encouraged to identify with the feelings of the individuals they are associated with, their feelings as they relate to others' feelings as opposed to their color, bank account, or education. The common denominator is whatever their drug of choice was. It took them to places and caused the kinds of problems that were very destructive to their lives. And, so, it is important that you feel what a person experienced, as opposed to the circumstances under which he or she experienced. Angela: Those among cultures of addictions build strong bonds, which makes it harder to break away from that culture. What's the best strategy for helping a friend break free from one of these cultures? Stacia Murphy: In order for a person to break free from the culture of addiction, they have to know that it can be replaced with a culture of recovery or replaced with individuals or groups who support that person getting well. Those groups have to be sought out, but they are available, and the person who is addicted has to be willing to participate in what is essentially a new lifestyle. MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. What effect do the cultures of addiction have on prevention and treatment providers? Stacia Murphy: I think that what addiction provides for treatment providers is the opportunity to create an environment that will change this culture. It exists, and the goal of treatment and prevention is for people to get better. It represents the opportunity for people to get better. trompshaker: What about working directly with the culture itself-instead of against-to develop trust, communication, and success? Does that model work? Stacia Murphy: I think as a society we have to accept the fact that there is an alarming number of people who use illegal and legal drugs to their detriment. Some become addicted, some use those drugs to the extent that they cause problems to themselves and others. I believe we have accepted this as somewhat of a norm, so we have a responsibility to change this norm. Particularly for those individuals who are not addicted, but who use legal and illegal drugs and affect dramatically their home and work environment and cause an enormous amount of health care costs in this country and other related problems. We are mirrored into the belief that there is nothing we can do about this, when in fact we can. We have to develop a sense of the need to change the way we allow people to use legal and illegal drugs in this country. That includes availability, accessibility, marketing, and a belief that in order to feel good, we have to use drugs. It has almost become an expectation. Angela: How do organizations like NCADD deliver their messages to the cultures of addiction? What methods or messages work? Stacia Murphy: Well, NCADD is an advocacy organization, and through its affiliates around the country, in local communities, it spends a lot of time educating family members, educators, criminal justice personnel, clergy, and children. It does this through public service announcements, community events, legislative activity, brief interventions, and dissemination of materials. They have a very active Web site, and essentially elicit the support of communities as a collective in changing the quality of life in those communities as it relates to the prevalence of legal and illegal drug use. MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. What can communities do to support those who are trying to transition out of the cultures of addiction? Stacia Murphy: Communities must first recognize that addiction is a disease that affects many people. It is not a moral issue, and so the community has some responsibility for creating environments that support recovery or the transition from addiction to sobriety. Those environments include churches, community centers, police stations, neighborhoods, but also there has to be a change in attitudes that respond to addiction as a disease and not as a weakness or a matter of willpower. Terry: I imagine cultures of addiction are more prevalent in urban areas. Do you think this is the case? Stacia Murphy: No, I don't think that culture of addiction is prevalent in urban areas. I believe that because of populations that live in urban centers, there is a sense that they use alcohol and other drugs more than persons who live in the suburbs. It is not true. Addiction can affect anyone in any community, and among any group. Angela: I think of cultures of addiction on a small scale. For example, a group of people in an area that "party" together. Do I have the general idea? Stacia Murphy: People who go to a party and party together may not necessarily be addicts. There may be addicts among them, but we can't task the whole group because they party. People can go to parties and have a good time. It is not the party, it is the frequency of the use as opposed to people having parties. It is a misconception. Terry: Do cultures of addiction typically involve one drug or alcohol or a combination? Which drug or combination of drugs is most popular for these cultures? Stacia Murphy: I believe that every addict has a drug of choice. I do believe that in the last 15-20 years, there has been an enormous accessibility to illegal drugs and so there is a trend or tendency in today's society to encounter more individuals who are poly-drug users. It becomes a matter of addicted to getting high, and while you may favor one drug over another, at some point, whatever is available, if you have an addiction problem, is what you take. Nose: How can media literacy help to dispel the myths of the culture of addiction? Stacia Murphy: I think that media has to depict more accurately the course of addiction, what happens through that progression, how people change as the addiction progresses, and the need to describe it in a way that other diseases are described. All diseases have a course in which they travel, and stages of the disease, and I think that the media has a responsibility to begin to deal with addiction, or describe or portray addiction, tell stories about addiction, in the same way. Nose: What advice do you have for the parents of children who become interested in the "alternative" counterculture? While many aspects of underground culture are positive, there is a permissive attitude towards sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Stacia Murphy: The most important thing a parent can give their child is time. Advocating responsibility for parental guidance setting and adhering to limits and boundaries, helping children understand the consequences of their behavior are the best ways to get children to not engage in behavior that is destructive to their lives. Children need limits, boundaries, supervision. They need to understand the kinds of danger they put themselves in when they engage in those kinds of activities. Lee: There's been a lot of press about the very frequent binge drinking on college campuses-groups of friends that binge drink on a regular, sometimes daily, basis. What are your thoughts on these cultures and how to combat them? Stacia Murphy: I often wonder if again we have not, through media and stories-particularly media-created another phenomena. It think of that when I think of binge drinking. I also believe that on college campuses there has to be leadership that sets rules, limits, boundaries, and consequences for binge drinking and behaviors that result because of binge drinking. Again, adults not assuming responsibility for young people and guiding them in a way that promotes healthy behaviors as opposed to unhealthy behaviors is irresponsible. Accepting certain behaviors as a rite of passage can be very damaging to young people. Nose: How can we stem the culture of addiction when it seems so ingrained in a consumer society that promotes legal drugs, as well as illegal substances for a wide variety of uses? Stacia Murphy: Each of us as a member of a civilized society has a responsibility to change this. We cannot look away and say it is not our problem, or that it does not affect us, because it does. We have to understand and see the prevalence and use of legal and illegal drugs as a major deterrent to healthy communities, healthy workplaces, and healthy individuals. We have accepted this far too long. We can no longer afford to do it, and we are contributing by our apathy and non participation to the destruction of so many lives. Regina B: Also, the interesting thing is that the Rockefeller law is only applied to crack cocaine, not to ecstasy and similar Rave chemicals. Has your organization tried to do anything about these laws that don't prevent or reduce use? Stacia Murphy: Over the years, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence has been involved in many activities to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs as well as to prevent those drugs, particularly alcohol, from being introduced into communities. We have been involved in the Alcohol Content Law; we have been involved in the minimum legal age for alcohol use; we have been involved in laws that inform the public about the use of alcohol among pregnant women; we supported the alcohol tax laws-as just an example of some of our advocacy work. You can find more information about the NCADD work at http://www.ncadd.org, both at the national level and with our affiliates. Debigreene623: What are your thoughts on the growing rate of women with coexisting disorders such as mental health/addiction or history of sexual abuse? Stacia Murphy: I am not so sure that it is so much a growing problem as a problem that is coming out of the closet. We are responding as a society in a much more healthy way to the fact that these problems exist among women who we have to work to find solutions for. The issues are being less hidden, more talked about, and there is more of a willingness in society to change them. MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. What role does crime play in the cultures of addiction? Stacia Murphy: When people use drugs, there judgment becomes impaired. Drug use releases aggression and causes people to act in ways that if they did not use those drugs, they would not act like that. And, so, one of the consequences is engagement in criminal activity, and, while we do not excuse or condone criminal behavior, we have to recognize the interplay of drug use and criminal activity. MODERATOR: This question was previously submitted. How does stigma work to deter those with substance use disorders for seeking the help they need? Stacia Murphy: Stigma is a mark of shame, and until we accept addiction as a medical condition-and not a moral failing-and provide adequate healthcare and other access to resources that are available for people with other diseases, those individuals who are addicted are given the message that they are not worthy of treatment or resources to help them address their addiction problems. Lee: What is the future of NCADD and cultures of addiction? Stacia Murphy: The future of NCADD is very bright. We are working aggressively to change the culture of addiction and to more openly and aggressively embrace and celebrate the culture of recovery. It is our mission and our commitment. MODERATOR: Our hour has concluded. For more information, visit CSAT's Recovery Month Web Site at http://www.recoverymonth.gov. Visit the multimedia area (http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2003/multimedia/) to see a list of upcoming Web chats and Webcasts on various topics. You can also watch the archived version of the Webcast that complements this Web chat at http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2003/multimedia/w.aspx?ID=206. Join us next month on July 16 from 3-4 p.m. EST for our next Web chat. The topic is "The Cultures of Recovery," and our host will be William White, author of "Slaying the Dragon" and "Pathways From the Culture of Addiction to the Culture of Recovery." We would like to thank our host, Stacia Murphy, from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) for her participation in this online event as well as our participants for their questions. This transcript will be available shortly so that others may benefit from the dialogue. The chat has now officially ended. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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