2020 Addictions and More…
We made it another year. Another January begins, and with it the hope of a new year, new goals, new resolutions, filled with dreams and idealisations. Many of us will start off with a list of million things we want to accomplish, new resolutions we want to stick to, and end the year with only a few of them accomplished. And that’s alright. In so long as you end up happy with where you’re at, it is all that matters.
Now, while some of us will be focusing on these new resolutions, we will also have to deal with temptation. First came the legalization of pot, and now, vaping is legal to sell everywhere in Ontario. Proof? The Ontario Cannabis Store is introducing 59 new products as of January 2020, some already estimated to sell out quickly. Among those are edibles (candies that make you high) and, yep, vaping products. The price tag on these items? According to Global News, edibles will cost from $7-$14, and vaping products from $25-$125.
But isn’t vaping illegal and bad for you, you ask? Of course it is! The USA alone in the last few months has had deaths after deaths because of a compound found in vaping products that was killing people right and left. In September 2019, Health Canada issued an alert on all vaping products, “advising Canadians who use vaping products to monitor themselves for symptoms of pulmonary illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, chest pain) and to seek medical attention promptly if they have concerns about their health.” In spite of this, vaping products will be legally sold as of January 16th. How does this happen? Simple: the government wants money, and is trying to monetize everything they can get their hands on.
So if you have teenagers in the house, you may want to pay closer attention to their “candy”. Edibles alone are just as dangerous as vaping products. A lot of youth live under the false illusion that vaping is not as dangerous as cigarettes (false) or that you have to eat many edibles to get a proper high (false – and dangerous!). Check out the Government of Canada’s website if you’re unsure of the risks… And educate yourselves and your kids on these new products. Better to be educated than ignorant.
In fact, that’s what the motto for 2020 should be. Forget getting in physical shape – not that it’s not important, because it is. But even more important is mental health, your brain health. And if you’re feeding your brain crap via drugs, guess what? You won’t end up anywhere good. It’s time society stops being ignorant, and what better time to do so than the New Year?
When you think about it, we go about our lives so focused on our jobs, our careers, our kids… And taking of ourselves always comes in last. Our bodies were not meant to last without the proper care, that’s the way of life.
So this year, my challenge to you is: educate yourselves. Open your minds. Read news from other places than your regular CBC and CP24. Those channels pander government propaganda and you only get one side of the story, whether you’re aware of it or not. We live in a digital age, and it’s time to embrace it for more than just social media, YouTube and keeping in touch with friends. It is time to dive head-deep into information, and looking beyond what you are being given. It is time to question, to learn, and to be controversial. And, yes, it’s time to be extra careful about what you consume.
Do not fail yourself and your supercomputer of a brain. In 2020, challenge the status quo. Read more books, listen to different news outlets, try a different type of music, learn a new language. Hell, write a book if you’ve been dreaming about it! I know I have about five planned for this year, and I’m always aiming for more. But don’t just go about life, sniffing the roses, and not contesting the facts of life.
Bottom line is, treat your body and your mind like a temple.
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Ottawa / january 2020
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Alexa Witewoolf 1/11/2020 |
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