A STROLL WITH DAVID BERNER (For International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking)

Image Credit: vancouverradiostations.ca

For the few years we’ve stayed on earth, humanity has grown to love being “high”. Our ladies love high heels, we want to finish high school, be among the high class in the society, watch television in high definition, etc. (hehehe)

We’ve also come to discover that most of this ‘highness’ is not too good for us. Like the highness gotten from injecting yourself with some strong drugs, and sniffing some white powder, etc. My guest on the stroll today was recently on the CNN documentary ‘Shooting up legally’, in which he spoke strongly against the idea of safe injection centers—A new idea most governments are now supporting, that encourages drug addicts to come into these centers to inject themselves with more drugs in a ‘safe’ environment as they call it—David calls this idea complete insanity! 

David is an addiction counselor, TV/radio show host, and author. We had a STROLL, and we talked about drug abuse, the growing popularity of drug cartels, and he gave his advice to people struggling with various addictions. Here’s my stroll with Mr. David;

Ebenezar: Thank you so much for making out time to speak with me Mr. David, I was reading stuff about you, and I got to know that you studied Mathematics and Literature at the University of Winnipeg for a while but then you stopped and left the campus . . . what happened?

David: I left University because, after second year I was 18 and full of energy and I wanted to get away from academic life. I took a job teaching  high school in rural Northern Manitoba and then I traveled to Europe and started living in London. It was a wonderful experience and I recommend it for all young people.

Ebenezar: Okay, your TV show—the David Berner show—discusses  great issues and is known for connecting callers and top profile guests, leading a debate for change. What really inspired you to start this show?

David:  I've been doing radio and TV talk shows since my mid-thirties. I am a natural talker and story-teller and a great listener. I love meeting new and accomplished people and I have been so lucky to meet and interview and work with so many wonderful souls.

Image Credit: davidberner.com

Ebenezar: Today is the International day against Drug abuse and Illicit trafficking. And we always hear about the drug lords and drug cartels in the news and how they seem to be gaining power by the day. Do you think we are losing the war against drug addiction?? And what can we do about this?

David: Yes, I think we are losing this "war." The profits are just too enormous for people to pass up and the criminals are better organized than most police forces. They are also bankrolled by very rich respectable citizens.
Now, that doesn't mean that I think we should legalize everything or have governments sell narcotics. That would be even more disastrous than the present situation.

I don't have a "global" answer for these nightmares. I only really know that the efforts of honest abstinence-based recovery work will yield results and I know that we could easily increase the number of beds and centers 20 fold with very little expense and wonderful results.

Ebenezar: I also saw you on the CNN documentary ''Shooting Up Legally'' opposing the Idea of safe injection centers. Let's talk about this a little because this idea of creating safe injection centers seems to be gaining momentum around the world. What do you think about this?

David:  Bad science, bad public policy and bad moral/spiritual/psychological idea. This is a dreadful "magic bullet" band-aid that leads nowhere, except  maintaining the addict in his or her misery and degradation.
The so-called studies that support this idiocy are completely ill-conceived and childishly delivered. You wouldn't get through a Grade 9 science project with work this sloppy.

Ebenezar: (hahaha) Just like you said on that CNN documentary; Politicians don't really like talking about drugs because it's dirty and can't give them votes, But If opening safe injection centers isn't the answer, what do you advise our leaders and the United Nations to do, to solve this problem of drug abuse?

David:  I love the new badges that people are wearing at public rallies. They say things like; I'M IN RECOVERY & I VOTE! or I SUPPORT RECOVERY & I VOTE! We, as a society and a culture, have to do strong and clear-headed Prevention work to assure our children that life without dangerous poisons are both possible, desirable and way more fun. We then have to provide access to legitimate abstinence rehab programs that are largely peer-run and have shown consistently great results over many years. The cost is peanuts compared to the cost of doctors, shrinks, social workers, hospitals, ambulances, emergency rooms, courts, police and jails.

 The government of Scotland three years ago declared openly that they had wasted billions of pounds sterling on Harm Seduction bullshit and that they were now ending that era and putting all their money on recovery work.

Image Credit: vimeo.com

Ebenezar: You've authored books on addictions, and you're also an addictions counselor. Many people around the world are addicted to so many things—alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc—as a result of habits they've formed. What's the best way to break free from these bad habits that can destroy us? And have you had any bad habit you broke free from?

David: The only way to break free of deadly habits is hard work. You have to come to learn who you really are and what you really need and how to manage all the daily exigencies and challenges that life offers. Don't forget that life is difficult; it is often miserable. And that's without even trying. But it is also so funny and beautiful and glorious. I smoked 20 to 30 cigarettes a day from the time I was 14 until I was 35. I quit in a day and a half using a simple self-hypnosis technique. But more importantly I CHOSE to see myself as a non-smoker and I CHOSE to not pick up a cigarette ever again. Here's the simple truth - I LOVED smoking, but I CHOOSE every day not to smoke. There are no magic answers. Until an addict is committed to sobriety, freedom from addictions will not arrive.

Ebenezar: Thank You so much once again for speaking with me sir.

David: You’re welcome Ebenezar, Thank you too.

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For more about Mr. David Berner (@DavidBernerTV) visit his website here

Breaking an addiction or stopping a bad habit always leaves a void in your soul, and it’s a void that needs to be filled. When you don’t fill that void, you’d find yourself going back to that habit again because, nature abhors a vacuum.

But I know someone who can fill that hole in your heart—the hole you’ve gotten from that broken relationship or lost job—his name is Jesus Christ. Invite him into your heart today, and things will never remain the same in your life.

Till my next stroll, Jesus Loves You.

By: Ebenezar Wikina (@Poeticjazz)

THE STROLL, JUNE 2013 

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