Substance abuse and drug addiction are extremely serious. These days, it's fairly common to see and/or hear about various reports pertaining to drug busts, overdose deaths, fentanyl emergence, etc. on the news. In fact, it is almost TOO common.
When the many news programs (locally and nationally) cover these frightening and jolting events, typically they will show clear photos/footage, depicting different drug paraphernalia. For example, when a drug bust occurs, in an attempt to convey the summed-up process, the audience is often subjected to crystal-clear, color photos of syringes, tourniquets, bent spoons, lighters, and quite often the actual drugs themselves. They also show footage of the sorting of drug baggies (a.k.a. tickets) and big, brick-amounts of cash being gathered. As an addict in recovery, I do NOT like seeing this on the news. It's an obvious trigger for me, and for all addicts who are trying to maintain sobriety. Also, I do NOT think it is appropriate for young children to just happen to stumble on these explicit pictures.
The exact same ideas can be conveyed in other ways, just as effectively, and not nearly as enabling. They could display suggestive actor reenactments, animated computer simulation, interviews with law enforcement officers and/or medical professionals. However, I am imploring the news stations in the greater Portland area (ideally the whole state of Maine, and the whole country) to STOP showing these obvious triggers. It's dangerous. I also think the public becomes desensitized to the magnitude of severity related to chemical dependency when being shown the same colorful images continually.
Thank you.
