Another article about the toxic effects of chemicals from making Meth on children.
And not a peep about the toxic effects of chemicals from tobacco on children.
A quick google search shows what is in tobacco smoke. And it is FAR more dangerous for kids than Meth simply because FAR more kids are exposed to it.
Yet, the news media are silent.
Gotta' keep us afraid of the evil Meth people.
http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/04/03/2958899/as-meth-labs-grow-children-are.html#ixzz1IT5fo3MZ
When it comes to all of these meth stories, I guess I can understand them to a point, because it is a local problem and that registers more with people. But the extreme fear of meth that I see amuses me to an extent. Numerous times, I have been talking to family members, and friends of the family and they have gotten onto this topic, and they see this as the most pressing problem that we are facing, and saying that everything should be done to stop it, no matter the cost. I have even, on a couple of occasions, tried to see if they knew anything related to corporate and white collar crime, and I was met with blank stares. So, I guess the point here is that the news media is doing a fantastic job at keeping the rare stories in the headlines, the corporate crimes buried,and fear spreading as a result.
ReplyDeleteTobacco is run by the large ciagarette corporations and you have to think that these are some powerful people. These corporations makes millions and billions of dollars that a portion of, more than likely, goes to keeping stories about the harmfulness of their product out of the media. Also the men at the heads of these cigarette companies are powerful people and I wouldnt doubt that these men also sit on the board for these major news networks which helps to keep news on their products out of the media. Just these two things largely influence the media and brings out these lesser stories on meth and how it is supposedly everywhere.
ReplyDeleteTobbacco is extemely dangerous to those who use it and those surrounding those who use it, but Meth is danderous in a different way. I would say that alcohol should be more covered than either of these substances at hand. I understand why Meth is so heavily discussed though. People panic about it because of the behavior change of those who take it. It is a problem that cigarettes are legal and used as commonly as they are but they do not change our behavior. People who use Meth look like matheson above and yes I would rather have him absent from my community. Cigrettes chronically poison and kill people in our community but that doesn't mean people who make meth don't deserve out attention and fear. I don't think its really that much of a threat but the people who choose to party that hard are thorns in the side of any community.
ReplyDeleteI followed the link and I both agree and disagree with you about this not being a concern for children. While I agree that cigarette smoke is horrible for kids and affects far MORE, it doesn't negate the fact that the chemicals from meth are also detrimental to health. Granted, this article said that only 60 NC children were removed from homes contaminated with meth last year, soeven if the actual number (not busted) is tenfold that, it pales in comparison to the number of kids harmed by smoke...but those kids are still being exposed to some pretty bad stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll run the risk of using a frame and/or narrative here and say that chances are people who are cookin' up meth (or any drug) in their family home aren't likely to be shining examples of parenthood. Of course I feel the same way about people who smoke around their kids...and just for another fun spin, I wonder what percentage of meth users/makers smoke cigarettes too. I'm willing to bet it's higher than the normal population.
I'll also argue that the media HAS launched a tremendous campaign against smoking in general. Both pediatrician's offices I've been to have posters up about this and thanks to commercials and an overall shift in the portrayal of smokers (they're no longer sexy, healthy, etc) it has moved to become less and less socially acceptable. In fact, I've heard the idea kicked around of giving junk food bad PR due to the successes of the campaigns launched against cigarettes. While I don't think the media has handled this issue perfectly, I do believe the overall effect has been tremendously positive.
Meth is viewed as highly dangerous and not even in the same category as tobacco, but should it be? Yes meth is very dangerous and can cause extremely negative health conditions if used for a number of years, but tobacco is also dangerous if smoked regularly for years. Tobacco is known to cause heart disease, lung cancer, and many other respiratory problems. Meth is still viewed as a "new and upcoming" drug by law enforcement. Tobacco has been used for centuries and was very dangerous to one's health before it was "regulated" by the government. In the 1930's and 40's, cigarettes were found to contain fiberglass which, if smoked, is a high risk of cancer and, even today, Newport News is no longer allowed to produce menthol cigarettes because they were known to contain fiberglass. Also, tobacco is viewed as acceptable in society as it very easy to access cigarettes, even if under the age of 18 and millions of people are regular users of tobacco. So one can make the argument if meth was regulated and controlled by the government, many of the highly dangerous toxins would be toned down. Also, if meth was produced at such a high rate of tobacco and legal to the public it would be seen as somewhat acceptable in society. Not to take anything away from the danger of meth, but if tobacco was not endorsed by so many corporations and not controlled by the federal government it would be close to the danger of meth. Even as it is, tobacco is, by no means, a safe thing to smoke.
ReplyDeleteMeth is not as wide spread as cigarettes, prescription drugs, and alcohol. But e media will not focus on see as long as these companies pay out so much money to politicians. Meth can be a very serious problem but it is not a huge threat to our kids. The bigger threat would be the second hand smoke kids are exposed to each day.
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ReplyDeleteTobacco is one of the most deadly drugs that individuals can expose themselves to because of how addicting it can be. The use of tobacco is very wide spread, and a lot of people seem like they don't care. The companies that make cigarettes make tons of money and don't want the media to distort their companies image. Tobacco has been around for so long, and it seems a lot people don't mind the use of tobacco as if it's harmless. Meth is different than tobacco, and is less used. I would say that Meth is definitely a different kind of dangerous compared to tobacco. The use of tobacco can be addicting, expensive, and lead to illness. Media outlets take Meth busts and blow it out of proportion, but it seems like they should focus more attention on something as dangerous and widespread as tobacco is.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that tobacco is the most dangerous and the most addicting drug on the planet, yes i called it a drug. Meth is not everywhere, yes we have it around our houses and in our states and its so easy to make people are starting to make it in their cars. Meth is dangerous for EVERYONE not just children, the fumes when you make it and the chances of it exploding is very high makes it a risk to everyone. But i think tobacco and second hand smoke consumes more lives, bar none, more than any other addicting drug EVER!! Tobacco is so dangerous the government makes the producers put warning labels on every pack produced...
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