In this article, we will continue our discussion about facing drug addiction. After we addressed the first part “Christian View of Drugs,” we will now address the second part: how we deal with these dangerous issues, or what we would otherwise call:

The Position of Christianity toward drugs:

1 – Christianity calls us to resist drugs, using it, being addicted to it, buying or selling it. Drugs are dangerous, harmful and destructive.  He who lives according to the commandments of God, must completely refrain from it, and even fight it, as the Bible commands “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 11:5).

2 - Christianity calls us to have a fulfilled life. An empty life (unoccupied mind or time) is a breeding ground for drugs to enter one’s life. Therefore, the Bible commands us: “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 18:5). This means that it is important to fill our lives with prayers, reading, charitable deeds, and productive activities. Thus, there will be no room for all these destructive things to enter our lives.

3 - Christianity warns us of bad company which can be contagious in destruction “Evil company corrupts good habits.”(1 Corinthians 33:15).

4 - Christianity calls us to have a balanced upbringing, through several aspects, including:

1. Cultivate an attitude of rejection towards drugs from a young age. This can be achieved by making the youth aware of these issues through lectures supported by appropriate media.
2. Foster an environment of love, giving, and empathy.
3. Raise children to be responsible in life and to respect the gifts of God to us. Raise them to appreciate the value of health, money, and time, and view at them as valuable gifts from God that we ought to protect them and grow them. Life is precious, we ought not to waste it or ruin it. Rather, we should appreciate our life in its entirety and think beyond momentary satisfaction or destructive and illusive pleasures.
4.  Be vigilant in raising children, particularly during adolescence, and watch for bad company. Drugs usually start in a period of problematic upbringing. Therefore, it is important that we train our children to be disciplined to have a curfew time, and to take responsibility in house chores and coach them on choosing friends.
5. Practice good judgment in the allowance amount that we give to our children. It is not wise to give our children a larger than reasonable allowance and without accountability. It has been proven that too much money could be a leading factor for teenagers to try drugs, which are difficult to break off from their chains.

5 – We should treat the addict as a person with a serious and contagious sickness. We ought to treat this illness with special care in order to reshape and rebuild the person, and to rehabilitate him to become integrated and productive member of the community.