Definition Essay On Junkies

Have you ever used a derogatory word towards another person and felt bad about it? Of course, no one willingly would ever do that, would they? Yet it happens every day within our society to the point where we now must educate our youth on the past failures of racism, sexism, and bigotry. When you think of the word Junkie what naturally comes to your mind? Most people would have a list of bad thoughts running through their heads if they heard that word. People also don’t think of people who tend to collect junk called also be called junkies but when we say it we tend to assume the bad label that it comes with. Throughout the essay there will be plenty of disagreements with this word choice that labels people who are currently fighting illness of addiction so perhaps as Americans we can help them fight the label of being a Junkie. …show more content…
Per Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the word Junkie is described as a narcotics dealer or peddler, or a person who gets an unusable amount of pleasure in something. Both dictionaries are using the same word but are giving a vast explanation that shouldn’t really label a person as a junkie because technically it could amount to a lot of other things besides drugs. But ultimately heroin, crack cocaine, prescription pill, and meth addicts are typically labeled a junkie. Some people who are labeled as junkies typically can’t shed the guilt of being labeled it so we have an insane amount of over doses every year in America. Families lose loved ones because they see the stereotype of a junkie but in the end don’t actually see that the person can’t get the proper help to cure themselves but with the downward spiral of losing family and being called a junkie ultimately kills them. What other things can Americans do to help fight the typical label of being labeled a Junkie and how can future Americans prevent it within our