Scar+Tissue+-+A+Canvas+of+Snow

Agnes Chong (8654816) Tutor: Mangalam Sankupellay

THE ARTEFACT

media type="custom" key="24224988" Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers From Stadium Arcadium (2006) Written by Michael 'flea' Balzary, Chad Gaylord Smith, Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante.



The Red Hot Chili Peppers are just one of many groups of artists from the music industry that are, or have been, slave to high promised my illicit drugs. Over the span of the 30 years the band has been active, they have seen everything from several of their albums going multi-platinum to the death of founding member Hillel Slovak due to Heroin overdose.

In 2006, vocalist Anthony Kiedis spoke about the song in an interview with David Fricke: //“////It's about the repeated failure to// start //your life anew and how difficult it can be to get rid off old ways of thinking, and destructive ideas we become so attached to."// Kiedis also mentions talks about his addiction to Cocaine (“Snow”) in his autobiography, Scar Tissue (2004), and later alludes how this single is "about surviving, starting fresh. I've made a mess of everything, but I have a blank slate—a canvas of snow—and I get to start over."



PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
The life of Kiedis is a prime example of the crippling natures of drug addiction, and how the lack of positive parental influences can diminish one’s state of mental health (Agrawal et al, 2007). It is also illustrates that being clean from drugs is often a long and arduous journey and there is no one method to treat substance abuse.

Drug use and abuse in a broader scope has also brought to light other consequences of long-term abuse, such as the gradual physiological deterioration of the body’s internal systems due to over stimulation of the nervous system and potential spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B & C.

LITERATURE REVIEW In Australia, the use of illicit drugs has been on the rise, with 14.7% of the population in 2010 over the age of 14 years having used these substances in the past 12 months (AIHW, 2011).

The highest incidence of illicit drug use occurs between the ages of 18 and 29 (AIHW, 2011), this can be attributed to the fact that people in this age range are affluent and independent enough to make their own life decisions, and are willing to make risky behavioural decisions.

There is definitely a certain stigma that comes with identifying as having used drugs. In an article by Hall and Degenhardt (2009), there is evidence to support that the potential number of total drug users in a population could be higher than often reported in government surveys.

Drug addicts are often less willing to admit to being substance dependent since they anticipate the repercussions of possessing illegal drugs and their associated practices. This in turn affects the numbers of people we see who actually take the initiative seek treatment for their addiction and attempt to be clean.

Over the course of the past decade, there has been an increasing trend that teenagers above the age of 14 are starting to abuse Cannabis (McLeod et al, 2004) and suggests that harm reduction methods may need to have a larger focus on early intervention. Also, many see drug use as a way to mark their “coming of age” and is an increasingly normative part of the growth process, and are open to trying, and eventually using on a regular basis, more than one type of illicit drug (Arnaud, 2012).

CURRENT METHODOLOGIES Methods used to tackle this big issue can be placed into two large categories: Treatment Interventions, which focus on rehabilitative methods, and Harm Reduction, which looks into early education and information to alert the general public to the grave consequences that can result from drug use. (Ritter & McDonald, 2008)


 * Treatment Interventions **

__Supervised safe injecting facilities __

Supervised injecting facilities provide a venue where recovering addicts take their dose of drugs under medical supervision such as in a public or private Clinic, Pharmacy, or correctional facility (McKeganey, 2006). However, addicts are required to travel regularly to these dosing points and this not only poses a barrier to possible routine participation, but also hinders social reintegration, since these places are not obscured from the public eye and scrutiny.

__Pharmacotherapy__

“Opiate Dependence Treatment Program” (ODTP) Opiate Replacement Therapy is a form of pharmacotherapy is where a certified medical professional prescribes pharmaceutical drugs for patients to take in place of the illegal narcotic drugs, to reduce the harms associated with opioid dependence (Mitchell et al, 2004). Commonly Methadone, Buprenorphine, and Naloxone are prescribed to manage opioid dependence. Administered orally, such opioid replacement therapy has been found to decrease illicit opioid use, and improves overall physical, mental, and social well-being (Burns et al, 2009).

However, every human body is unique and even though our physiological processes are supposed to function the same way, each individual will have a different response level to each specific type of treatment (Ritter & McDonald, 2008).

Some may respond better to having safe injecting facilities, because going completely cold turkey may have more detrimental effects than being on the drug. While others may have made the decision to be totally off the drug and seek professional medical help to get rid of the side effects of not taking drugs. Many also argue that it does not do anything

However, we have to take into consideration that not every person that gets admitted to the treatment is serious about getting clean. They may also provide false self-reporting to clinicians and be wrongly declared drug-free. Many treatment methods rely on the trust between the client and clinician to correctly determine the best course of action to take to be rid of the drug addiction.

Law Enforcement Current laws and penalties against drug possession and supply in Australia stand as follows (Criminal Code Act, 1995): - Possession offences: a maximum $2000 fine and/or 2 years in prison - Supply offences: a maximum $100,000 fine and/or 25 years in prison
 * Harm Reduction **

__Preventive Education__ In an article by Midford (2007), evidence and research has illustrated that preventive education in primary and high school levels helps to increase awareness in children the harms of drugs. These education sessions were repeated to reinforce the message, and subsequently the children involved were less likely to eventually try illicit drugs.



__Workplace drug testing__ There has been good evidence for the reliability of breath testing of alcohol levels and its association with subsequent performance impairment. However, this method has not been well established to test for illicit drugs. The consequences of consumption patterns and effects of withdrawal also should be considered before a decision is made to implement an alcohol or illicit drug-testing regime (Colakis & Bruce, 2007) (Cavanaugh & Prasad, 1994).

Harm reduction policies, if implemented well, can help reduce the incidence of drug use, however we live not in a perfect world and authorities find it difficult to fully enforce these measures as many people have different levels of compliance. Also, constant policing for drug activity is neither practical nor sustainable for law enforcement authorities.

SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS Postmodernism as a social theory looks at society as anything but binary. It advocates the idea that everything exists as a continuum is as a result of unique circumstances that set one apart from everything else.

To address the problems of drug addiction using post-modernistic theory, we consider that each individual as a result of their specific circumstance. For example, finding out if the root of their addiction was based on structure or agency could be useful in finding out the feasibility of treatment within a certain time frame.

GROUPS AFFECTED There has been a growing trend, where the incidence and proportion of drug users is significantly higher in certain social and cultural groups.

__LGBTIQ__ Studies on gay men have shown that they are more likely to be under higher pressure, stress, and eventually depression caused by the perception that they are not accepted by society, and many turn to drugs as a form of escapism and as a coping mechanism. Also studies have shown that drug use is a rising trend and a normative part of Australia’s gay scene (Saltman et al, 2008). This evidence is corroborated by the fact that a higher proportion of people that identify as homosexual, compared with heterosexual people, have ever used or are current users of drugs.

__Indigenous__ People who identify as indigenous seem to have a higher prevalence rate of illicit drug usage in both the men and women than their non-indigenous counterparts. (AIHW, 2011)

This is attributed, in part, to that fact that many in indigenous have access to neither quality healthcare nor the supportive communities to discourage drug usage and educate the people on it harms.

This poor support infrastructure coupled with a poor general mental health status of many in the indigenous population, is a breeding ground for illicit drug activity (Hart et al, 2010).

IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE Although a small proportion of the population eventually becomes addicted to drugs, this can have a huge impact on the population at large.

Raising awareness towards drug-harm prevention in youth is critical because young people are more willing to take risks and are also very easily influenced and believe they are mature and responsible enough to handle substance abuse.

Drug addiction should not be treated as a topic of taboo, and users should not feel ostracised by society. However, we should provide more open channels of communication between people of authority and those living in the communities where substance abuse exists. It is important that we create the appropriate supportive communities for current addicts to be able to seek professional help to tackle and manage their addiction.

Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that drugs affect everyone differently, with each unique person having different degrees of addiction. As such, one treatment mold does not and will not fit the vast number of people and their levels of dependence.

Since it is impossible to eradicate drug use, health professionals should focus on preventive measures, which target a larger proportion of the population. Cement in youth especially, the idea that drugs are damaging to all aspects of life. Yet, we cannot neglect treatment for current addicts who need a stable support system that will seem them through getting clean from drugs.

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF ARTEFACT

The lyrics of this song is a reflection of Anthony Kiedis’ struggle with drug addiction, and in hindsight he sees that drugs held him back from life and clouded his ability to be forward-looking. Even though he feels that it is “killing [him]”, he is still slave and trapped by its numbing effects and in moments of sobriety he realizes how damaging it can be: “the more I see, the less I know, the more I want to let it go”.

The metaphor of the canvas of snow- where Kiedis sees possible redemption from a past filled with drugs. He revealed in an interview that his father, a struggling actor in the 1970s, influenced him to use drugs even before he had reached his teens.

This is proves the point that family structure and influence plays an important role, and that youth are very impressionable, and look up to the adults around them to guide them in the right direction. Perhaps, had he remained living with his mother, he might not have gotten involved with drugs from as young as he did.

Upon reflection, I realize that every issue is multifaceted, and each outcome is unique to specific set of circumstances that a person is subject to. When dealing with people I come across in the future, I will be more aware and be conscious not to pass judgment without first getting to know a person. No matter how dire a situation may be, people must get second and even third chances to prove they want to and are capable of making positive changes in their lives. Sometimes, it is not entirely the blame of personal choice that a person cannot get clean from drugs. The physiological effects of drugs can hinder a person’s mental faculties and prevent them from making conscious decisions, and some may need more time and support to be drug free.

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 * __ REFERENCES __**

Agrawal, A., Lynskey, M. T., Madden, P. F., Bucholz, K. K., & Heath, A. C. (2007). A latent class analysis of illicit drug abuse/dependence: results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. //Addiction//, 102(1), 94-104.

Arnaud, N., Br”ning, S., Drechsel, M., Thomasius, R., & Baldus, C. (2012). Web-based screening and brief intervention for poly-drug use among teenagers: study protocol of a multicentre two-arm randomized controlled trial. //BMC Public Health//, 12(1), 826-836.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). //2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report.// Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website []

Bright, D. (2011). Australian Trends in Drug User and Drug Dealer Arrest Rates: 1993 to 2006-07. //Psychiatry, Psychology & Law//, 18(2), 190-201.

Burns, L., Randall, D., Hall, W., Law, M., Butler, T., Bell, J., & Degenhardt, L. (2009). Opioid agonist pharmacotherapy in New South Wales from 1985 to 2006: patient characteristics and patterns and predictors of treatment retention. //Addiction//, //104//(8), 1363-1372.

Cavanaugh, J., & Prasad, P. (1994). Drug Testing as Symbolic Managerial Action: In Response to "A Case Against Workplace Drug Testing". //Organization Science//, //5//(2), 267-271.

Colakis, P. N., & Bruce, R. (2007). Drug Testing in the Workplace. //Professional Safety//, //52//(7), 31-36.

Criminal Code Act 1995 s.9.307 Retrieved from []

Hall, W., & Degenhardt, L. (2009). The Australian Illicit Drug Reporting System: Monitoring trends in illicit drug availability, use and drug-related harm in Australia 1996-2006. //Contemporary Drug Problems//, 36(3/4), 643-661.

Hart, L. M., Bourchier, S. J., Jorm, A. F., Kanowski, L. G., Kingston, A. H., Stanley, D., & Lubman, D. I. (2010). Development of mental health first aid guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing problems with substance use: A Delphi study. //BMC Psychiatry//, 10(78).

Kiedis, A. & Sloman, L. (2004). //Scar Tissue.// New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

Macleod, J., Oakes, R., Copello, A., Crome, I., Egger, M., Hickman, M., Oppenkowski, T., Stokes-Lampard, H. & Smith, G. D. (2004). Psychological and social sequelae of cannabis and other illicit drug use by young people: a systematic review of longitudinal, general population studies. //Lancet,// 363(9421), 1579-1588.

McKeganey, N. (2006). Safe injecting rooms and evidence based drug policy. //Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy//, //13//(1), 1-3.

Midford, R. (2007). Is Australia 'fair dinkum' about drug education in schools?. //Drug & Alcohol Review//, //26//(4), 421-427.

Mitchell, T., White, J., Somogyi, A., & Bochner, F. (2004). Slow-release oral morphine versus methadone: a crossover comparison of patient outcomes and acceptability as maintenance pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence. //Addiction//, //99//(8), 940-945.

Ritter, A., & McDonald, D. (2008). Illicit drug policy: Scoping the interventions and taxonomies. //Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy//, 15(1), 15-35.

Saltman, D. C., Newman, C. E., Mao, L., Kippax, S. C., & Kidd, M. R. (2008). Experiences in managing problematic crystal methamphetamine use and associated depression in gay men and HIV positive men: in-depth interviews with general practitioners in Sydney, Australia. //BMC Family Practice//, //9//1-7. .