of Substance Abuse in the Black Community ADDRESSING THE FACTORS
As he continues his walk of sobriety, Jim Joyner has seen the personal effects of years wrapped in drug use and heavy alcohol consumption. His professional experience as a substance abuse educator has given him a broader perspective on how these effects are raging throughout entire communities, specifically the Black community. “I don’t know of any family that can’t admit to knowing someone in their immediate and extended family who has some negative history with alcohol and drugs,” Joyner said. He cites alcoholism as the number-one killer of African-American drug users. He believes one of the most prevalent factors feeding into this and other statistics around substance abuse is the stigma surrounding discussions on counseling. “It’s the toxic notion that these conversations stay in the living room, that it’s intrusive if an outside source attempts to assist. These conversations are more open primarily within white communities, so this population is going to be more likely to get the help they need.”
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online