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Preparing for Prevention

Taking a stand against substance abuse is one of most noble and consequential undertakings you can invest yourself in. Your efforts will save lives, preserve futures and enhance the potential of your children, your community and your country. Addiction, and the antecedent practices that ultimately lead innocent children into its grasp, is a complex problem. It is influenced by factors like genetics, social strata, pecuniary incentives and biological vulnerabilities, just to name a few. While some of these factors are resistant to change, others are not. In fact, the most potent and consequential influences of substance abuse are highly vulnerable to our influence. They almost beg to be changed. They stand on a pinhead, waiting to fall neatly into their rightful humanitarian place, if only given the gift of a push. And you could be the person to do it.

As natural as it may seem, the road before you is not easily navigated. In many ways, you are likely to be crossing new ground in your family or community. There will be times when you will feel alone. There will be moments when your compass fails you. It’s likely that you will someday question the merit of your efforts. You are about to walk a road that is not frequently travelled, but if you stay true to yourself and believe in your efforts, you will leave some amazing tracks. And people will follow.

From the beginnings of recorded history, substance abuse has revealed itself to be amongst the darkest of all human vulnerabilities. It’s benefits upon person and society are negligible, while its impact is utterly devastating. Resources squandered, loved ones lost, potential robbed and desperate for solutions, we are in many ways a heartbroken country in need of repair. But substance abuse is already illegal in many respects. It’s already spoken about in our school systems. Remediation is already funded by our government and there is, at least in principal, a general agreement amongst our families that substance abuse is morally wrong. So what more are we lacking?

You. You are the missing ingredient. We need you to believe. As a country, we are in disbelief about this problem. We don’t believe that we can do anything about it on an individual level. We think that we need big people and big policies to change this for us, but that is a categorical mistake and the reason for our failure. In the late 1700′s, only forty percent of the colonial population actually supported the American Revolution. Twenty percent remained loyal to the Brittish and another forty percent simply refused to take sides. Nonetheless, the actions of this distinct minority changed the world as we know it, and gave birth to greatest country every founded. A few great people knew what was right, and had the courage to achieve it.

We’re not talking about an anti-substance abuse revolution here, but the parallels undeniable. Those of you who will protect your families and fight for your communities, are in the distinct minority. Nationally and locally, you will find that a small but vocal percentage of your neighbors remain loyal to their drugs and the infrastructure that sustains them. A much larger percentage will remain ambivalent no matter what you or anyone else does. A small group will stand alongside you, but the faces will change and their contributions will vary. Perhaps the most disenchanting circumstance, is that these dynamics are equally likely to play themselves out inside your own home as well. It’s a frustration that you must prepare for.

Some people just wont get it. Some don’t want to get it. Many people have built their social life around recreational intoxication. They view it as completely natural and have great difficulty accepting the ramifications of their role. They don’t understand the example they set, because its the same example they grew up with. They saw it in mom or dad. They see it on TV every night. They see it in the buddies that they are naturally drawn to socialize with. Cracking through that shell can be very difficult.

But there is a substantial group of people whom you can affect. The majority of people in the middle ground of this issue really have no idea how profound this problem is or how devastating it is for those who are affected. They don’t realize how close it is to their family and how much it threatens to take from them. Alongside them stands a group of people who have all the right instincts, but don’t know what to do, or don’t want to stand out by doing it. These are the people who can ultimately move mountains. If you give these people information, direction and purpose, there is nothing that can stand in their way. The trick is finding a way to free them from their inhibitions. And the EmpoweredParent Network can help you do that.

The topics discussed on this page are equally relevant to you whether you seek to prevent substance abuse in your home, or in your community. The dynamics are the same. Be prepared. If you care enough to be here, take the time to educate yourself on the importance of this one single issue. It’s almost certainly the most imminent, but preventable, threat to you home and town. Very few people will ever bother to learn what you can learn in just a couple of clicks on this website. So get your feet under you, square your shoulders, lift your chin and push away from this computer knowing that you can be the change in your world. We don’t need protests or scary stories, presidential decrees or marshal law, we just need you. Set the example. Be the lighthouse. Demonstrate confidence and disseminate knowledge. Stay strong and push forward. Have the courage to walk a path that might not seam as well traveled. And when you do you get to the point where you feel lost or alone, take a look behind you, because I promise you’ll see others following in your footsteps.