Drug abusers becoming more unaware of the harm they’re doing to selves

La Crosse committee wants to reverse that perception

Drugs are harmful. It seems obvious, but the perception of harm by those who abuse it is crossing into a gray area.

It’s getting bad enough that a La Crosse County committee wants to reverse that perception.

Al Bliss from the county heroin task force is worried about the growing ignorance of harm from drug use.

“We’re not always aware of the negative consequences of what these drugs have,” he said. “Over time what w’eve noticed is that this perception of harm has decreased.”

Bliss has found a decreased ‘perception of harm’ in statewide surveys of young people, where they’re asked about risky types of behavior.

He wants to develop some educational activities with the La Crosse County Prevention Network.

Bliss says a change in generations, and the media, may be big factors in the perception that some addictive products may not be so bad.