Gabor Mate is a native Hungarian, survivor of the Nazi death camps and author of the book “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.”
A self-described addict, Mate is a Canadian physician who works with some of the most hardcore drug addicts in Vancouver. His experience with these addicts, along with clinical studies (Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, May 13, 2014) is that virtually all of them suffered damaged psyches from childhood trauma and that our punitive drug prohibition regime buries them in a system of recurring trauma.
Quoting Mate, “If I had to design a system that was intended to keep people addicted, I’d design exactly the system we have right now.”
Proponents of the status quo “get tough,” “lock ‘em up,” “three strikes you’re out” war on drugs contend one of the strongest arguments for prohibition is the dangerous, addictive nature of a broad array of intoxicants.
[For more of this story, written by Steve Oakey, go to http://www.rexburgstandardjour...12-1be1e7d86a52.html]
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