Browsing: 2nd Annual Old Town Blues Fest

2nd Annual Old Town Blues Fest Comes to OTCA

March 30, 20120

Local and National Favorites Headline Annual Old Town Blues Fest Cottonwood AZ (March 30, 2012) – Joe Neri of Joe…

The Great Escape
By Tommy Acosta
Stoned. Drunk. Wasted. Pickled. Trashed. Messed Up. Buzzed. Smashed. Hammered. Plastered. Tanked. Lit. Sloshed. Drugged. Loaded. Sauced: These are just a few of the many words we use to describe one who is under the influence. But why is it that people feel the need to escape reality by ingesting alcohol or drugs? What drives this seemingly universal thirst for relief? Every day, we’re inundated with headlines about the latest cocaine or fentanyl bust, as government agencies assure they’re working tirelessly to eradicate illegal drugs from society. Yet, the use of legal substances—those prescribed by medical professionals or sold by the liquor, caffeine, and nicotine industries—often goes unregulated or ignored. Dig deeper, though, and you realize that the issue isn’t simply about legality or enforcement. Illegal drugs rake in billions for cartels and black-market dealers, while the legal drug industry generates even more profit, legitimized under corporate banners. But profits aside, the critical question remains: Why does the demand for these substances never seem to wane? Read more→