The United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse - A Global Problem & Solutions
The United Nations
estimates that worldwide,
some 50 million people
are users of heroin,
cocaine, and synthetic
addictive drugs alone.
Of these,
hundreds of thousands
consequently die each year.
Dr. Robert DuPont,
a leader in addictive drug
abuse and treatment,
was the first Director of
the US National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
and the second
White House Drug Chief.
The drug problem
in the world today
is not like anything
we’ve ever had before.
This is a new epidemic.
It started
in about the 1960s and
it is continuing to spread
throughout the world.
Many of the drugs
that are on the list
of illegal drugs, are drugs
that have been around
a long time.
But what’s new
is even these old drugs
are now used
in entirely new ways.
They are smoked
and they are injected
intravenously.
That makes them
much more powerful
than they ever were before.
Plus, there’s
a whole new generation
of chemicals, drugs
like Methamphetamine
for example or MDMA
or LSD (Ecstasy).
All these drugs are all
addictive substances that
have devastating effects
on the people
who take them.
The way it works is
very simple, and that is,
the new users are unaware
of the consequences
of where they lead.
They are seduced into
the chemical experience
of using the drug in the view
that they can handle it,
they can control it.
And of course,
once they get in there,
it becomes a trap
that they can’t get out of.
These are pictures
of individuals
before and after they used
the addictive drug known
as Methamphetamine,
a stimulant that can cause,
among others, insomnia,
confusion, paranoia,
hallucinations,
violent behavior,
convulsions, heart attack,
stroke, and death.
Addictive drugs
not only damage
one’s physical appearance,
but can ruin every aspect
of one’s precious life.
They take away friends,
family, money, self-esteem,
and one’s future.
Drugs hijack
the brain’s reward system.
They take over
the person’s thinking.
So they control
the person’s behavior.
People who care about
their families,
people who care about
their futures,
stop caring about
either of those things.
You see a kind of thing
that’s so dramatic.
A patient of mine
last week stole money
from his grandmother
who was taking care of him.
She was reaching out
to help him, and he went
and took the money,
and then went out
and bought crack cocaine
with it, and
without a second thought
about what he was doing.
And when I asked him
about why did you do it,
he said
well I am a drug addict.
That’s what drug addicts do.
Well that kind of loss
of any moral compass
is devastating and
it’s very characteristic of
what drugs do to people.
He would lack a sense
of responsibility.
It is not necessarily true
that he lacks an education.
At present, we also have
some students here
with university degrees
or even higher education.
We’ve had a lot of people
who used to live
a normal life, that means
that they had a family,
had a job and so on,
but who went through
something,
a dramatic experience
whereby they started
to drink, lost their job,
got a divorce
and ended up in the street
and so get in contact
with the wrong means.
Now, drugs cost also
a lot of money.
Everything
has to be paid for,
and the fact that
not everyone will just
jump into criminality
when he uses drugs,
so saving accounts
or the money from work
will be used up and this is
how you get into trouble.
You definitely
cannot function on it,
also not at work.
So my work
started to suffer from it.
I stopped working
and this is
how the problems came.
I lost my apartment,
becoming homeless.
I had to do prostitution
to earn money to finance
the drugs, shoplifting.
A brain on addictive drugs
is physically altered,
making a person
unable to think clearly.
You’re willing to do
anything to get the drugs.
And that leads women
into prostitution,
for example, and people
into criminal behavior.
But it also means
you’re prone,
to doing stupid things,
like accidents
when driving a car
and things like anger,
for example,
and being out of control.
The consequences
of addictive drug abuse
are extremely costly.
They include
damaged health
and families torn apart,
job loss, homelessness,
crime, and emergency
medical attention.
In many countries,
drugged driving
is becoming a problem
as serious as drunk driving.
We are talking about
traffic accidents where
young people are dying,
we're talking about death,
we are talking about
greater violence,
we are talking about
unwanted pregnancies;
finally a series
of social problems, which
clearly influence social life
and affect us all.
There’s a whole range
of medical problems
that come too.
When you smoke something,
that has terrible effect
on the lungs.
But the other way
people take drugs now
is by injecting.
So they’ll put in a vein
and that transmits
diseases like HIV/AIDS
for example,
but many other diseases
as well.
Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
are transmitted like this,
and bacterial diseases
are transmitted.
So, you get a whole range
of complications
to a person’s health.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television,
as our program continues
in observance of
the United Nations
International Day
Against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking.
Welcome back
to today’s presentation
on Supreme Master
Television
about the global challenge
of drug addiction.
Despite the effects
that are life-threatening,
experts fear that
addictive drug abuse is
not taken seriously enough.
No, I don’t think people
have an understanding
about how bad it can be.
And they’re misled
by a lot of people
who are out there
promoting the idea that
drugs are a harmless way
to have fun.
But a lot of it also is just
from seeing other people
who are using drugs
and it looks like
they’re in control.
They only see it
in the early stages
of the use,
before the complications
have come in,
before the devastating
effects are there.
So there’s a kind of
a false learning
from seeing their friends
who are using drugs.
And I really think
we need to have
much more education
in the world
about the dangers
of these drugs,
so that people are aware
that even trying it
is dangerous.
I really think that
marijuana or cannabis is
the most devastating drug,
and the reason for that
is because
it is misunderstood
and seen as benign.
It is seen so widely
as a trivial drug, and so
it acts as a gateway drug
to get people into
the whole drug situation.
But it also is
a terrible problem
in its own right.
I’d like to say it makes
people stupid and lazy.
And if you think about
the global economy
and how it works,
it doesn’t help to have
millions and millions
of people who are made
stupid and lazy by a drug.
A study of over 3,000
fatally-injured drivers
in Australia showed
that when marijuana
was present in their blood,
they were much more
likely to be at fault
for the accident.
But that’s not all.
In countries
which has relaxed a lot
the perception
of what is marijuana use,
then they are consistently
having more cases
of psychosis associated
with marijuana use.
It also causes cancers
and causes a series
of diseases associated
as well as with tobacco use.
I had a person
say to me something
I thought was very smart.
He didn’t want to try it
because he might like it.
That’s smart.
That’s somebody
who understands
how the seduction works.
In reality,
any pleasure extracted
from addictive drug use
is fleeting.
As withdrawal sets in,
what follows
is often dangerous,
torturous pain.
Because Ketamine
had numbed my stomach
and intestines,
my stomach
stopped moving, and
it was filled with gas,
and it was so painful.
The doctor gave me
a morphine injection
and it still
could not ease the pain.
I felt like
going to the toilet
every five minutes.
One time, I took her to
the emergency department
for gastric pain.
Through the gastroscope,
the doctor showed me
that her stomach
was filled with blood.
I hope no one will
use drugs like I did.
When you don’t have it
anymore,
your body gets signals
like you don’t have any
control over your body.
Your arm can,
without you asking for it,
move over there; sometimes
you can’t move along.
You are, yes, a wreck.
There was an example
of a PhD, a scientist
who studies drug abuse,
who thought
that he could use drugs
because he knew so much
about them.
But he did it
with his fiancée.
And he came home
one time from work
and she was dead
with a needle in her arm
from an overdose.
But when she died,
then the emergency
people came in,
they got the police in
and they found the drugs
in his house.
And now he’s going to
go to jail for the drugs.
So he wrote an article
about this in the
“Journal of the American
Medical Association,”
to warn other people
who have the illusion that
they can control the drugs.
It’s a range of problems
that people have.
But it all centers
on one thing
and that is the drugs
become more important
than anything else
that the person is doing.
And when that happens,
people are apt to do things
that are out of character,
that are very destructive,
and then
the society intervenes, and
there are consequences
that are often
are very, very bad,
including death
and imprisonment.
If you go down
the drug way,
you will reach no more
than three places:
one is the cemetery
that is very sad,
and there are many
who go there;
another is the hospital
and another is jail.
With deep sympathy
for those who have had to
cope with dependencies
of any kind,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
has shared her views
on substance addiction.
And whatever the illusion
that comes from plants
or drugs, they have
terrible side-effects.
They will make
your body weak.
They will make you
addicted.
They will make you
less intelligent.
They will destroy your
brain power, and also
destroy your physical
well-being, etc., etc.
How many people die
every day because of drugs?
You know.
How many people live
a life half dead and
half suffering because
they lack the drug
after they have been
so addicted to it?
You know the answer.
That's why it is better to
refrain from these
dangerous substances
for the sake of your own,
as well as the people
you love, and for the sake
of the peace for society.
For victims
of addictive drug abuse,
there is hope to recovering
one’s health and life.
As our program
continues tomorrow,
June 26,
the United Nations
International Day
Against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking,
we’ll find out more
about addictive drug
abstinence treatment
and other solutions
to this global epidemic.
Smart viewers,
thank you for joining us
on today’s program.
Please now stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
May you
and your loved ones
be blessed and protected.
For more information,
please visit
Dr. Robert DuPont’s
Institute for Behavior
and Health at
By the lake
in the sight of my God,
Beautiful Mother Earth!
In the early hour…
Come stay with the
vibrant Peruvian people
who live harmoniously
on Lake Titicaca.
The two-part program
airs on Tuesday and
Wednesday, June 29-30,
on Supreme Master
Television’s
Enlightening Entertainment.
Greetings, caring viewers.
Today is
the United Nations
International Day
Against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking.
This two-part program
began by raising awareness
on various issues
of addictive drug abuse,
an extremely costly and
deadly global epidemic.
Today, we’ll discuss ways
for a victim’s recovery
and prevention.
The problem is
self-centeredness
in the addiction,
and recovery is involved
in caring about
other people,
and about honesty.
And the simple way to say
it is drug addiction
makes people liars.
If you have to
keep something a secret
from people
who care about you,
you’re doing
something wrong.
And why does that
work that way?
That works that way
because we fool ourselves.
We convince ourselves
that doing things
that are wrong
are really right,
that we can get away
with it, that it’s okay.
I think
the most important thing
is honesty,
being able to tell people
who care about you
the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth.
Oftentimes they don’t
have a network anymore.
They didn’t work
for a long time,
they don’t have a house,
don’t know where to live
and how to
cope with the debts.
So there needs
to be offered some help
to give them
a steady life again.
Fortunately, today
treatment programs
and organizations are
more available than ever
to help meet their needs.
When the counselors
gave me guidance,
I felt that they had
great compassion
and patience.
So I wanted to
work harder to complete
the program faster,
and then I could
take care of the kids
and give them happiness.
After I quit drugs,
they were very happy.
Some people can just
stop on their own.
It’s very interesting.
Once they’d had enough
– I call it surrender –
once they surrender,
they give up, they say,
I can’t do that anymore.
I’ve got to stop using,
to reclaim my life.
But other people, many,
need treatment, to help.
Others will find
a recovery through
a religious experience,
through participating
in a program like
the Alcoholics Anonymous
or Narcotics Anonymous.
There are many paths
to recovery, but
the key step is not to use.
As long as they’re using,
they’re not on the path
to recovery.
No use is
a single important key
to a successful recovery.
Families, teachers and
doctors all must be firm
in this regard.
There’s a kind of an attitude
that is dangerous, that
looks about a drug addict
or an alcoholic,
and it says, “We want
to care about that person
by reaching out to him
and protecting him,
even when he is still using.”
You make
the problem worse
by your effort to care.
And so you need to have
a very clear standard,
“No, it’s not acceptable.”
There is also
another point that
is often misunderstood
when it comes to
overcoming an addiction.
Every addict has stopped
many times.
It’s not stopping
that’s hard,
it’s staying stopped
that’s hard.
And what happens is
when a person stops,
the problems that
came from the addiction
go away, and
the person has the illusion
that they’re in control,
and they don’t need
any more help,
and they think, “Well,
I can do just a little.”
And one of the phrases from
Alcoholics Anonymous is,
“One drink is too many,
and a thousand
is not enough.”
That first drink
leads to the thousand.
And that’s why
not using at all is such
an important part of that.
In addition to absolute
abstinence and honesty,
support from loved ones
and a wholesome lifestyle
are other aspects of
successful rehabilitation.
It would be very hard
to think about
any other behavior
that is as destructive
to your health,
including your mental
and spiritual health,
as drug addiction.
It has a corrosive effect,
not just on your body,
but on your soul,
on your spirit,
on your values,
on your character.
And so,
when you eat healthy,
when you exercise
in a healthy way,
when you’re concerned
about your relationships
with other people,
who care about
and caring about them,
all of those are preventives,
all of those
help to change.
I finished the program
and my whole life
has changed
from black and white
to a colorful one.
Now my goal is
to help other people.
Really, we will be happy
only by helping others.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television,
as our program continues
in observance of
the United Nations
International Day
Against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking.
Welcome back
to today’s presentation
on Supreme Master
Television.
Effective addictive drug
abstinence treatment
programs focus on
healthy, responsible living,
and may emphasize
a spiritual component
as well.
Religion and any kind of
spiritual belief,
of faith that they have,
is a protective factor
against drug use.
We have groups where
we do meditation exercises,
and the meditation
is about oneself
and about what happens,
but it can help control
stress, anxiety.
Among those
who found the strength
to free themselves
from addiction
through spiritual guidance,
one of our
Association members
from the United States
wrote this letter
about her experience.
“When I was a teenager,
I rebelled against society
by abusing illicit drugs,
which also gave me
some temporary feeling
of a “higher” experience.
When I heard about
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
the Quan Yin Method
and the precepts,
I knew in my heart that
giving up the temporary
“enlightenment” of drugs
would allow me to have
the true experience
of the Truth.
Master has said that
addictive drug users
are often sincere
Truth seekers who are
looking for God
but have fallen into
the wrong path.
I wish to offer viewers
my story as proof that
the void left in our hearts
by addictive drug use
CAN be filled
and overfilled
with the Love of God.
You may even forget
your past worldly identity
when you realize
your saintly nature!
With Supreme Master
Ching Hai's love and
the Quan Yin Method,
only good things
are possible!
Master, thank you from
the depth of my heart
for giving me
not only a chance at life,
but for saving me and
showing me the Truth
that I was looking for.
In grateful tears,
Beth from the USA”
The following is
an excerpt from
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
1993 lecture in Austria
about addictive drug abuse.
The people
who take drugs
take them because
they are very lonely,
or they are influenced
by the people
around them.
Or they are seeking
Divine pleasure
and find nothing at all.
They believe that
these drugs will
give them enjoyment.
But they are mistaken.
It only brings them harm
and confusion.
Once we come
into contact with our
inner light and sound,
there is much more joy
which brings
long lasting happiness.
Much more than drugs.
The global
illegal drug trade
is comparable to the
international tourist trade,
about US$400 billion
per year.
Courageous government
efforts continue to stop
addictive drug production,
trafficking and use.
Progresses include more
international cooperation
for helping farmers
switch to alternative crops;
promising inventions
such as a breath test that
easily detects the presence
of addictive drugs;
and renewed commitment
by governments
and communities alike
towards treatment
and prevention.
But the best solution is
to be aware
and NEVER try drugs
in the first place.
Therefore,
parents play a vital role
in addictive drug use
prevention.
Not enough parents
make it clear that
they expect their children
to obey the law,
including laws
about drugs and alcohol.
They sort of let the kids
try to figure it out
for themselves.
And that’s very dangerous.
So that’s one thing to do:
lay down a clear message
to the children.
The other thing is,
parents need to be
very much aware of
the kid’s vulnerability.
The parents have
a responsibility to keep
track of that teenager.
What is the teenager doing?
Who are those friends?
What about drugs and
alcohol in that situation?
The family needs to say,
“No use is acceptable.”
And if they have somebody
who’s using,
they have to do
whatever it takes
to get that person to stop,
including ultimately,
depending on
the age of the person,
having them
leave the family.
You need to say, “No.
If you are going to be here,
you can’t use at all.”
And be very strict
about that.
In a 1999 lecture
in South Africa,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
once again emphasized
the absolute importance
of avoiding
addictive drugs.
It shrinks your brain.
It clogs your nerves.
It makes you
hallucinate.
It makes you go crazy
when you don't have it
and become addicted to it.
It breaks your family
love, relationship.
It drives your girlfriend,
boyfriend away.
It makes you become
a criminal sometimes.
We have enough
confusion with work,
with war, with disaster,
with relationship already.
Do not create
more confusion
for yourselves and
damage your only vehicle
to reach God;
this is the body,
the temple.
Keep it well, in order,
healthy,
because you must use it.
Drug is no, no, no, no.
Recognizing
shared efforts worldwide
to stop the suffering
inflicted by addictive drugs,
Dr. Robert DuPont
spoke of
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
dedicated efforts.
I am very pleased
with these efforts to
reduce drug abuse, and
I honor the contributions
that she has made,
and I am delighted to
add my voice of support
and encouragement
and appreciation.
As our program
comes to a close,
some of our guests send
messages to all viewers
on this International Day
Against Drug Abuse.
As a former drug user,
I want to say
to the young adults:
“Stay away from drugs!”
If you truly have problems
that you cannot solve,
you can seek help
from other people
or various channels.
You shouldn't resort
to taking drugs.
I’d like to have people
more aware of the threat
to our global community
posed by the drugs and
get people more involved
in efforts to
stop the trafficking,
stop the use.
Values that say
this is not acceptable
kind of behavior,
and that we all
have to be involved in it.
We thank
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for her urgent message
to the world
that addictive drugs
are indeed
one of the top killers
and for her forthrightness
about this devastating
but preventable disease.
We also thank
the dedicated professionals
for sharing your expertise
and concern in hopes
that all shall heed the call
to a drug-free path.
To our interviewees who are
former substance abusers,
our deep appreciation
for your generosity
and honesty in discussing
your personal pains,
struggles, and triumphs.
You had learned
the hard lessons,
so that others may avoid
the suffering that
you had gone through.
May you be blessed
abundantly with love, joy,
and bright futures.
Discerning viewers,
thank you for joining us
on today’s program.
Please now stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
May all lead lives
to the fullest potential,
in Heaven’s grace.
For more information,
please visit
Dr. Robert DuPont’s
Institute for Behavior
and Health at