Missed Connections

There was quite a media stir yesterday about a report released by SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency) that found illegal drug use had increased by 60% in 2009.

About 21.8 million Americans, or 8.7 percent of the population age 12 and older, reported using illegal drugs in 2009. That's the highest level since the survey began in 2002. The previous high was just over 20 million in 2006. ... Marijuana use rose by 8 percent and remained the most commonly used drug. ... Other results show a 37 percent increase in ecstasy use and a 60 percent jump in the number of methamphetamine users.

The reports focused in on the marijuana numbers, and all the coverage I heard discussed only one reason for the increase:

"I think all of the attention and the focus of calling marijuana medicine has sent the absolute wrong message to our young people," Kerlikowske [director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy] said in an interview.

Today, another report is circulating the newsrooms. This one, from the Census Bureau reveals (duh) that poverty rose in 2009:

The poverty rate rose to 14.3 percent during 2009 from 13.2 percent the previous year as household income stayed flat and the number of people without health insurance reached its highest level since such data has been collected, the government announced Thursday.

For working age people between 18 and 64, 2009 saw the highest poverty rate -- 12.9 percent -- since 1965.

The overall rate is the highest since 1994. Some poverty watchers had expected the poverty rate to jump as high as 15 percent.

"Today's news is sobering, showing that 2009 was a year with increased poverty and rising numbers of uninsured Americans," said Rebecca Blank, the Commerce Department's undersecretary for economic affairs.

Now, neither of these reports is surprising to me. What IS surprising, or rather, disappointing, is that no one in the mainstream media seems to be drawing ANY connecting lines between these two dots. Does it not seem like maybe, just perhaps, an increased rate of poverty contributed to an increase in illegal drug use (I'm not even going to get into drug policy and the messed-up definitions of "illegal" vs. legal drugs)? Does a possible connection between poverty and despair and millions of uninsured folks and increased self-medication not seem worth investigating or at least pointing out?

It is deeply disappointing that an increase in marijuana use is blamed on the democratic process taking place in the form of discussions of legalization, rather than on the widespread unemployment, hopelessness, and despair of so many in this country.

There was particular concern about marijuana use by young people, and the only young person I heard interviewed was asked about whether he thought the drug is safe, not what leads him or his friends to use it.

This is a classic example of media shaping and spinning two very important issues as completely separate problems to be dealt with by their own agencies, rather than encouraging analysis and thoughtful reflection on society as a whole. At least Obama has approved Elizabeth Warren to play a role in setting up the new Consumer Protection Agency, so someone will be looking out for the poor and middle class!

Miscellany

I haven't been able to put my thoughts on any one subject into readable form for almost a week, so I thought I would give a quick list of topics that have been on my mind and radar screen this week. What's been on yours?

• Boycotting Arizona. I like the overwhelming nationwide response to the AZ immigration law. Apparently hotels and other tourist industries are worried, and several major US cities are calling on their citizens to collectively join the boycott. Forthcoming: a list of AZ-based businesses for those of us who don't have any fancy Grand Canyon vacations to cancel.

• Drugs in pop music. The newest Ke$ha song/headache "Your Love is My Drug" is filled with not-original substance abuse references as analogies for an obsessive relationship. Again, this is not new, but this song catches my ear every time I hear it, and every time I get a little bit upset. I've always struggled with how and where to draw the line between free speech and destructive culture. I'm upset by this song in particular because I work at a rehab community of recovering substance abusers, and I think what it must be like when they inevitably hear the line "keep it up like a lovesick crackhead."
  

• NC Primaries. Turnout was terrible as usual, but Elaine Marshall was the front runner, if not the official "winner" of the Senate race. She will now face off against Cal Cunningham in a runoff in June. In not-so-great news, progressive, young judge Leto Copely was soundly defeated by not one, but two uber-Conservative judges.
  

• Job searching in a down economy. As you probably know, I am currently completing a fellowship-type position that ends June 30. Thus, I have started my job search with the goal of being unemployed for as little time as possible. What a great way to really feel the recession. There are some jobs out there, if you're a certified child care worker or a certified nurse assistant. I'm not a certified anything, but I do have a bachelor's in public policy. Also, most waitstaff/kitchen/driver/general labor positions ask for at least two years experience! This is going to be a tough one. Stay tuned for updates and insights into the world of jobseeking 2010, and if you have any leads for me, let me know.