Quote:
Originally Posted by woj
"Percent of persons 12 years of age and over with any illicit drug use in the past month: 8.7% (2009)"
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/druguse.htm
So you really think that those on welfare happen to have 4x lower drug use rates? If so, what would explain that? |
Drug use and drug addiction or chronic drug use that impairs someone's ability to function are two separate things.
Having lived a somewhat divided childhood myself, I grew up in a poor neighborhood but hung around wealthy people as I got older, I would say that drug use among the affluent is MUCH higher than among the poor. The difference is that kids from upper middle class and above homes have a huge safety net, so they can do drugs and still live a somewhat normal life despite the consequences. A kid in a poor neighborhood has no safety net, so the first time he gets busted or has drug a related problem, his life begins to spiral out of control and never gets back on track. That's what makes poor people look like such hopeless drug addicts, it's because they have no safety net. There is no family they can move in with, they can't spend a few months in rehab while their family loves them and tells them how proud they are, even though they come out and keep doing drugs.
My point is that people are poor because they either choose not to work, or they can't work. It's not because they are drug addicts.
Of course, I still don't know if the original stats posted in this thread are accurate and I said so in my first post. All I'm saying is based on my own experience, it wouldn't surprise me. Drug use among those on social assistance is probably the same or maybe even a bit lower than the general population due to their lack of disposable income.