Gil Kerlikowske The Drug Czar

About a week ago, Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center was visited by Gil Kerlikowske, chief of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I must admit, I had never heard of a Drug Czar. Who is Gil Kerlikowske and what does a drug czar do?

According to Huffington Post, a drug czar’s duty is to  reduce drugs use in the United States. Wow that explain a lot doesn’t it? I read an article from the Wall Street Journal concerning Kerlikowske’s position and Kerlikowske, a long with congress,  is dealing with the drug issue in America as public health than as a criminal justice issue. I read some more articles and even watch videos from Youtube. I guess Huffington Post is right in the long run. He is on the mission to do what almost every president have been trying to do- end the use of illegal drugs.

What a hard job.

I remember when I was in the fifth grade. I hadn’t really heard about drugs on a huge level. One day I was sitting in class when this policeman came in the class with his co-worker. I don’t even remember my teacher warning us or telling us we were going to have guest.

They started talking about drugs and how bad they were. They really painted a horrible picture of my neighborhood: Drug addicts, drug users, people who want to force kids to use drugs, drugs on the street, drugs, drugs, drugs all around. I had only heard of a cigarette. Not to include that they came into class dressed as cops with gun and bats. Just looking at them scared me. I didn’t marvel over them at all. I remember an eerie feeling being in the classroom. All the students were quite and very few asked questions. Up until then, I thought I was safe walking to and from school. After their spiel about drugs, they then proceeded by taking out a case of drugs in little medicine cases so we could see what each drug look like. Before they did that, they told us what each drug was capable of doing.

I was so scared, I didn’t want to see any example. I didn’t want to touch the case. I just put my head down.

That day I walked home shaking.