Letter from Europe

[Barbara Nadel]

Any Amy Winehouse fans out there? So sad about her early death. I loved her and her soulful music. Her dad is going to use some of the money from her records to set up a drug rehab centre for young people so hopefully some good will come out of it. There are so few places for young people with drug and alcohol issues. But if you can intervene when they're young it's so much more successful.

[Gannon]

He would do SO much better creating a place where people can learn when 'enough is enough'...by the time they need rehab it is usually way too late. The drugs and spirits have their hooks in the psyche, and it takes a miracle to reverse that.

I've said for many years that this is the shortcoming of our modern world...there is no positive approach to consumption and fun...we mostly all do it until we drop, or break, or go broke. Most of us have some distraction which we go to when the stress peaks...it is merely a bit more blatant for some.

I don't believe that there is any real difference between someone who leans towards alcohol or drugs to quell their turmoil...and one who over-eats, sexes themselves silly, shops 'til they drop, or even starts fights to tickle their adrenals into action. My working theory is there are 30 buttons of distraction, and we each are sensitive to any number of them.

It is simply more obvious when an individual chooses one of the faster tracks...and a double-damn shame when it is coupled with enormous talent or even gifting. But then again, who knows...she might've had some insight into the meaning and timing of life that we are not privy to. She might've simply come to her time to leave the planet, and there might've been nothing anyone could do...her mother seemed quite resigned to this reality.

We lost a brilliant musician/poet in Detroit last week...not as young as Amy, but in many eyes well before his time. Who is to say what anyone's 'time' truly is?! I defer to the concept of a Maker, and allow some supernatural wiggle-room. In times like these, their actions are quite mysterious, and I'm ok with that.


Sincerely,
John

[Barbara Nadel]

He would do SO much better creating a place where people can learn when 'enough is enough'...by the time they need rehab it is usually way too late. The drugs and spirits have their hooks in the psyche, and it takes a miracle to reverse that.

I've said for many years that this is the shortcoming of our modern world...there is no positive approach to consumption and fun...we mostly all do it until we drop, or break, or go broke. Most of us have some distraction which we go to when the stress peaks...it is merely a bit more blatant for some.

I don't believe that there is any real difference between someone who leans towards alcohol or drugs to quell their turmoil...and one who over-eats, sexes themselves silly, shops 'til they drop, or even starts fights to tickle their adrenals into action. My working theory is there are 30 buttons of distraction, and we each are sensitive to any number of them.

It is simply more obvious when an individual chooses one of the faster tracks...and a double-damn shame when it is coupled with enormous talent or even gifting. But then again, who knows...she might've had some insight into the meaning and timing of life that we are not privy to. She might've simply come to her time to leave the planet, and there might've been nothing anyone could do...her mother seemed quite resigned to this reality.

We lost a brilliant musician/poet in Detroit last week...not as young as Amy, but in many eyes well before his time. Who is to say what anyone's 'time' truly is?! I defer to the concept of a Maker, and allow some supernatural wiggle-room. In times like these, their actions are quite mysterious, and I'm ok with that.


Sincerely,
John

I agree that education is the key in the long run. But so many young people are dying we just need to treat them and try to make them as safe as we can. As those of you know know me will remember I do not believe in the 'war against drugs'. I believe it is a waste of time and that what governments should be doing is taking charge of the drugs trade themselves. Take criminality out of it altogether and treat it as a public health issues, which is it. Give addicts pure substances [[a lot of people die from substances that have been used to cut crack or heroin - like rat poison) and they can take tax revenue from it. Then when people are no longer criminals they will seek treatment if that is what they want. If they don't want there is nothing on this earth that can stop them and so the best case for those not requiring rehab is a safe, decriminalised monitored supply. Like you, I don't know when anyone's 'time' might be, but I do think that Mitch Winehouse's rehab is better than nothing at all. His heart is in the right place and it is good that Amy's money will go into something positive.