SCRIPT AND SOURCES
Script
Have you ever been driving downtown, and seen a line of tents on the sidewalk? Have
you ever driven down Rio Grande, and seen the line of people needing food? Or been on the off
ramp, and seen someone with a sign, begging for money? These people that we are seeing are
people who do not have homes. They are people who are suffering. According to
SunriseHouse.com, “statistics show that in general, substance abuse is more common among
homeless Americans than in the general population”. When we see these struggling people, most
of us refuse to give them our money, because we think we know right where that money will go.
The sad part is, we are probably right. According to the JAMA network, Drug Overdose was the
most common cause of death among Homeless people in Boston between the years of 2003 and
2008. When we are confronted with this reality, most of us think something like, “well, that was
their choice” or “they did it to themselves”. According to Rich McDonald, Clinical Director and
COO of Wasatch Crest Recovery, in an interview he did on the This Was an Assignment podcast,
he says quote, “We need to start treating addiction as a healthcare issue, rather than a moral
failing. Addiction is not a moral failing anymore than diabetes is a moral failing” End quote.
Addiction is not a disease that people choose to partake in. Addiction is a black hole that will
grip you, pull you in, and never let you out, unless you receive the proper healthcare treatment.
Also in the interview, Mr. McDonald mentions that addiction is an equal opportunity affliction.
He does not think that socioeconomics plays a role in someone’s addiction. He believes that if
you have the predisposition, and you get the right amount of exposure, you will become an
addict. It is not just homeless people, or poor people who live in bad areas who have a problem
with addiction. Any of us may be prone to this issue. A lower class man who was just laid off
from his job could be approached by someone on the street, offering the solution to “all of his
problems”. A very wealthy man who hoped money would “fill the void” in his life, could be
offered some high-end painkillers at a party by people who he trusts. Everyone is exposed to an
environment, whether good or bad, and this is something we do not have control over. It is time
that we raise awareness of this social problem to everyone in our community. If you do not think
you are affected by this issue, you are sadly mistaken. According to AddictionCenter.com,
“Communities throughout the United States experience the negative impact of substance abuse
on varying levels. A vast number of the nation’s top public health and social concerns are
attributed to drug or alcohol dependency.” AddictionCenter.com also mentions that crime rates
rise when drug or alcohol dependency are present in a community. Homelessness, drunk driving,
and crime rates are just a few examples of why this issue affects everyone in our community, and
why it is important that we take matters into our own hands. If you would like to donate now, or
learn about more ways that you can help with this issue, please call us at 1.800.971.5469 or visit
us at www.addiction-notinourhouse.com
Sources
“Addiction Among The Homeless Population.” Sunrise House, 26 Feb. 2020,
https://sunrisehouse.com/addiction-demographics/homeless-population/#Does-Substance
-Abuse-Cause-Homelessness
Baggett, Travis P. “Mortality Among Homeless Adults in Boston: Shifts in Causes of Death Over
a 15-Year Period.” JAMA Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, 11 Feb.
2013,
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1556797#qundefined
“Episode 1 - Rich McDonald - Life, Trauma, and Addiction.” SoundCloud,
www.soundcloud.com/thiswasanassignment/episode-1-this-was-an-assignment-rich-mcd
onald-life-trauma-and-addiction.
“Community Resources for Drug Abuse and Addiction - Addiction Center.” AddictionCenter,
www.addictioncenter.com/community-resources/.
