Editorial
July/August, 1995
Volume 30, Number 4
Drug abuse is a major problem in our day. No longer is it relegated to certain parts of the city, but it is found in the suburbs, the small towns, and the rural areas everywhere. Many violent crimes find their genesis in the abuse of drugs or in the desire to abuse drugs. Homes are broken and lives are destroyed because people, giving in to their selfish natures, abandon responsibility and try drugs to escape their problems. The government spends millions of taxpayer dollars to wage a “war on drugs.” And even our churches have individuals within who abuse drugs and yet appear to all as normal Christians.
Recent news accounts have reminded us that at least sixteen percent of welfare mothers have substance abuse problems. Heroin is making a deadly comeback, with hospitals reporting a 44 percent increase in overdoses in 1993. Cocaine, once restricted to wealthy abusers due to its great cost, is now available in cheaper forms, and is used by over one million people in the United States. Crack, a particularly concentrated and deadly form of cocaine, is responsible for many street crimes, shootings, and births of addicted babies. More than one billion (one thousand million) dollars are appropriated by governments in the United States to fund treatment programs each year.
The number one drug of choice, alcohol, rarely makes the headlines because it is so commonly used in our world. Beer and wine may be purchased at grocery and convenience stores in many states. Brewers and vintners remind us that we should “drink responsibly.” In other words, we are to abuse the drug, but not too much! Slick advertising in major magazines and newspapers encourage people to believe that drinking is sophisticated and sociable.
Yet our society will not own up to the facts of reduced economic productivity, abused wives and children, a downward spiral of living standards, and highway deaths all caused by the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. There are approximately ten million alcohol addicts in the United States alone. Studies indicate that many children try alcohol even before they enter junior high school. Expectant mothers who consume any amount of alcohol put their babies at risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other birth defects.
Drug abuse finds its origin in the sinful rebellion of human beings. It is simply one more form of self-centered living, and is a violation of the First and Second Commandments (Exodus 20:34). Instead of finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ and honoring Him, people often turn to drugs to “help fill the void.” Instead of submitting to the God of the Bible, many succumb to a “god” of their own choosing. And ultimately, rather than finding the true freedom offered in Christ, some are ensnared in the slavery of drug abuse. The world encourages this abuse through the glorification of leisure, fun, and “having a good time.”
The good news is that there is freedom from drug abuse. Prevention is the first line of defense. Parents can train their children to avoid the abuse of helpful drugs and the use of harmful substances. We must teach our children and grandchildren what the Bible says about the use of addicting substances. Use passages like Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:101 6:1920, Ephesians 5:18, and 1 Peter 4:3. Give youth encouragement when they behave in a godly manner and make wise choices to follow God’s direction.
Those abusing drugs can turn their lives over to Jesus Christ and allow Him to deal with the longings of the heart. God may or may not remove the desire for the drugs, but He will forgive the sin and help penitent individuals to change their inner desires. God and His Word are sufficient and can be trusted to help in daily living. Also, prayer will put us into immediate contact with the all-powerful Father at those times when we confront strong temptation to misuse harmful substances.
Congregations can lovingly confront drug users and give support and counsel to believers who are struggling with the desire for drugs. Drug addiction is just one more way that people sin, and the same Scripture passages that condemn drunkenness also condemn envy and covetousness (Romans 13:8-13, 1 Corinthians 6:910). Believers need to understand that sin is universal, and that we can help the drug addict when we function as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”
There is freedom in Jesus Christ from drug abuse, as well as from any other sin. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10: 10).
Freedom From Drug Abuse
By Harold S. Martin
Drug abuse is the harmful use of a drug. Many drugs can damage the body and impair the mind if taken for a period of time, or if taken in large amounts. The regular use of many drugs can result in psychological dependence. The drug use becomes a hard-to-break habit. And the regular use of alcohol, sedatives, and stimulants can lead to physical dependence. Such drug use leads to addiction. The body needs the drug so badly that stopping the drug cannot be done without suffering pain and sickness.
Most of us have heard remarks such as, “isn’t it frightening to observe how many of the younger people of our generation are using drugs?” Or, “Have you heard that nearly half of the youngsters in our local high school are on drugs?” Such questions have frequently been asked in more recent decades.
It is true that by the age of seventeen seventy percent of all youths in the United States have sampled drugs. It is also true that most drug users take their first sniff out of curiosity. The experience turns out to be everything the pusher said it would be. There is a feeling of fearlessness and superiority-and the next day the person who tried the drug out of curiosity is looking for more. After several months, the drug user often gets hooked. Users then sometimes begin to break into apartments, steal from stores, and hold up taxi cabs in order to find money so that they can buy more drugs.
It is important to know what is meant by the word “drugs.” Drugs are substances which by their nature have an effect on the mind and body. Many drugs can be used safely in ways to restore health to individuals. A drug can be used not only for treatment, but also for the diagnosis and prevention of diseases. Every day thousands of lives are saved because of drugs. The most common use of drugs is for the treatment of various illnesses.
Drugs can be taken into the body in different ways. Most drugs are taken by mouth. Others can be taken into the veins or muscles by means of a needle. A few drugs can be inhaled into the lungs where they are absorbed into the bloodstream. But regardless of how they are taken, they affect many of the cells which make up the organs of the body–the heart, the brain, the kidneys, etc. Some drugs bring about a change in one’s emotions. The concern of the message of this essay centers around the abuse of those drugs that affect one’s emotions–the way a person feels.
1. VARIOUS KINDS OF HARMFUL DRUGS
The number-one dangerous drug in the United States is alcohol. It is mood altering; it depresses the central nervous system; and it can cause physical dependence. Tobacco and marijuana follow as the second and third most widespread drugs which are harmfully used. Certain drugs can make one feel very excited or very alert. These are usually called stimulants. Stimulants which are often used illegally are the amphetamines, more commonly referred to as “speed” or “uppers.” Certain drugs can make one feel more quiet and calm. These are sometimes referred to as sedatives. The drugs most commonly used for sedation are tobacco and alcohol. Sedatives which are often used illegally are the barbiturates, more commonly referred to as “downers.”
a) Alcoholic beverages are sedatives. Those who are addicted find that it is difficult to relax in the evening without a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey. At first, a few ounces of wine will help one relax, but as time goes on, additional quantities are required to have the same relaxing effect. Alcohol causes a decrease in brain activity and in time it can result in heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and other disorders.
b) Tobacco contains a number of drugs. The most potent drug in tobacco is nicotine. Nicotine tends to calm the nerves. Tobacco also has another group of drugs known as “coal tars.” These substances are often the source of cancer of the lips, mouth, throat, and lungs of tobacco users. Those who smoke habitually, shorten their lives by an average of 5 1/2 minutes for each cigarette smoked. Recent studies have shown that tobacco smoke is harmful even to non-users of tobacco when it is breathed into the body.
c) Marijuana comes from the plant “cannabis sativa.” It grows like a wild weed and thrives in different types of soils. One who smokes marijuana (pot) exhibits an impairment of memory, has difficulty in concentration, and shows a poor work performance. The American Medical Association has reported that prolonged use of marijuana can lead to serious harm to the brain, the circulatory system, and the nervous system. Marijuana use leads to a rapid heart rate, redness of the eyes, dryness of the mouth, an altered state of consciousness, and a distortion of the senses. Nations which have almost universally used marijuana have not become thriving, energetic, and ambitious societies.
d) LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamidej is a drug which causes hallucinations. The senses of sight and hearing and touch are distorted. There is often a floating feeling, and LSD victims are known to have jumped out of high windows or over steep cliffs. Sometimes users of LSD become suspicious of others, feeling that someone is out to harm then?. (The Native American “peyote” is another similar hallucinogenic drug containing mescaline, which also produces illusions and false hallucinations.j
e) Amphetamines (stimulants) are drugs which tend to give one energy, wake the person up, and make !he user feel like doing things. Abusers take amphetamines to stay awake, keep alert, elevate their mood, increase their initiative, and give them confidence. One of the powerful and commonly abused stimulant drugs is cocaine.
f) Barbiturates (sedatives) are drugs which depress the action of the nerves and thus lead to sluggishness, difficulty in thinking, slowness of speech, poor memory, and faulty judgment. Symptoms of abuse include staggering and stumbling, falling asleep, lack of interest in school, and so forth. More than 2,500 varieties of barbiturates have been synthesized and many are sold by drug pushers.
g) Opium and heroin (narcotics) are drugs that induce a state of narcosis or sleep. Opium is one of the oldest and most widely used narcotics. It is obtained from the milky substance in the poppy plant and then dried in several stages. The most powerful narcotic is heroin. The drug is generally taken into the system by injecting it into the body. Addicts learn that they must continue to take the drug in order to “feel normal.” Heroin is a very difficult drug from which to withdraw.
h) inhalants are commonly abused drugs that many people experiment with out of curiosity or for a thrill. inhalants are fumes inhaled from substances such as cleaning fluids, gasoline, and various kinds of glue.
The most common drugs used illegally are psychedelic drugs like marijuana, narcotic drugs like heroin, and hallucinogenic drugs like LSD. When drug abusers keep on using drugs, their bodies require an increasing amount of the chemical in order to experience the desired effects. Thus they need larger and larger doses. If they attempt to discontinue drug use, they suffer “withdrawal” effects. When the next dose of the drug is not received within a given period of time, the body revolts and a number of symptoms occur, including severe cramping, vomiting, chills, and profuse sweating.
Dedicated Christians view these drugs (many of which have been outlined above) as harmful to a person’s health. They also see their abuse as a sin against God, against society, and against the human body itself. God intends our bodies to be dwelling places for the Holy Spirit, and therefore we are told, “Glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
2. THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT DRUGS
Those who are taking drugs are usually experiencing a life filled with loneliness and meaninglessness. Many of the drug users have not experienced acceptance, encouragement, and love from their families. They don’t know any other way to deal with their problems except to use drugs. But unfortunately, taking drugs does not help solve their problems. When the effects of the drug wear off, the drug user will face the same old problems all over again, and often the old problem is magnified and worse than it was before.
Drug use does not help persons perform better and accomplish more in life. Drug use does not help increase one’s skills, nor make the individual more useful in the community. Drugs give a temporary feeling of being superior, while at the same time, they tear down physically and make the user a slave of addiction.
The Bible is God’s Word to us and it has a message concerning the use of drugs. It also gives a prescription by which one can be delivered from drug abuse.
a) The Bible speaks concerning alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is one of the oldest drugs. A number of Bible passages deal with the problems of alcohol abuse. These include Proverbs 23:20-21, where we read, “Do not be among winebibbers … for the drunkard and glutton will come to poverty.” Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Isaiah warns, “Woe to you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine … but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord” (Isaiah 5:1112). Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk with wine … but be filled with the Spirit.” Older folks must eliminate the double standard which says in effect that alcohol and tobacco are okay for adults, but children and young people must keep away from beer and pot. The use of alcohol is equally as sinful as the use of other harmful drugs.
b) The Bible speaks concerning Christian living. The body of a believing Christian is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we should not allow them to become enslaved by wicked and degrading habits. Furthermore, we are instructed to “keep alert and be sober … and put on the breastplate of faith and love” (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8). The Scriptures consistently warn against the use of any substance that can alter our minds and weaken our ability to do clear-headed and sober thinking.
c) The Bible speaks concerning the last days. Drugs will be used for evil purposes as we approach the closing days of this age. The Greek word “pharmakeia” (from which we get our word “pharmacy”) is used in the last book of the Bible. It is found in Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8, and 22:15. The word speaks of “the use of drugs for a foul purpose.” A paraphrase of Revelation 9:21 would read, “And they did not repent of their murders, or their enchantment with drugs, or their sexual vice, or their thefts.”
d) The Bible speaks of the possibility of deliverance. God says in Jeremiah 32:27, “See, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?” There is a way to be delivered from the power of drugs, and to be saved for eternity. Confess your sins to the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Repent and be sorry for your wrong deeds (Luke 13:3). Forsake your wicked way of living (Isaiah 55:7). Call on Jesus Christ and ask Him to come and live in your heart (Revelation 3:20). Make a commitment to follow Him in Christian baptism and in fellowship with a community of Bible loving believers, setting out to become more Christlike in daily life (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:46).
Those persons who open the door of their hearts to Jesus Christ, will find that the use of drugs no longer has practical value. There is a new way to deal with loneliness, depression, and feelings of meaninglessness. Jesus Christ offers pardon for sins, and as we turn our lives over to Him and start living for Him, we discover the truth of what the Apostle Peter said: “Even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8b).
So dig into your Bible and it will expand your mind. But it will not endanger your mental or your physical health. Whether you are a drug abuser or not, there is a real fulfilling and challenging life found in knowing Jesus Christ and serving Him.