I will try to broach this as carefully as possible but there is no easy way. I do a bit of informal counselling of a alcohol/substance abuser (long story resulting from childhood abuse). He informs me that New Orleans is well known as having very great drugs problems, I believe with mostly with methamphetamine but cleary the whole cocktail will be used.
This raises a possible reason for some of the violence that is reported and poses some challenges for the communities receiving Internally Displaced Persons from the city.
We have to face it that from the favellas of Brazil to the slums of US cities, the way of aleviating the misery of poverty and deprivation is to blank them out by substance abuse. Along with everything else, the people addicted to illegal drugs (and abused legal ones Mr Limbaugh) will be cut off from their supply network. Even those who rescued their “stash” will be suffering withdrawal symptoms. It could account for the TV reports of people fitting in front of the crew.
I do not want to raise the subject to condemn the individuals afflicted. What I do want to do is float it as a subject that should be addressed. Some will use the break in supply as an opportunity to come off. Others will be increasingly desperate both to get supplies and to raise money for it. The only way for them to do this will be by crime unless it is possible to intervene now. Along with all the other necessities, they will need appropriate replacement/recovery programs. The alternative is for them to sink into the underworld of poverty housing and crime in the cities they are relocated to. Once they establish a new supply they are unlikely to return to NOLA.
As I said, don’t condemn but do not ignore. Just as the mother “loots” to feed her starving child, an addict will steal or prostitute themselves to feed their addiction. Being compassionate to both in these circumstances is difficult but must be done if they and the communities they are moved to are not to go downhill.
