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     On last night, I watched “Madea’s Homecoming” written and directed by Tyler Perry.  While watching the movie, I was saddened by the glorification of “getting high”.  Most of Tyler Perry’s movies have celebrated marijuana use.  I stopped the movie and began thinking about all of the celebrities who promote “getting high”.  Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson are more famous for smoking marijuana rather than their music.  Many celebrities endorse substance use and do not seem to suffer any effects or consequences from their habits.  If a celebrity promotes substance use, some people believe it is socially acceptable.  Many people dismiss the warnings not to use substances.  Drugs and alcohol can have devastating effects on the user, and those effects trickle down into the family.  Substance abuse should not be celebrated and it is definitely no laughing matter.  
    Drugs and alcohol use can lead to bad and sinful decisions because it clouds judgment and lowers inhibitions.  The effects of substance abuse on families include strained relationships between parents and children, financial hardship and increased risk of abuse.  Peaceful, loving homes can become a battle ground filled with chaos and confusion.  Plus, it isn’t cheap to support a bad habit.  Most addicts funnel all of their money towards their poison of choice.  They may have a difficult time keeping a job and rely on others to support them.  Some addicts are unpredictable and out of control which can lead to neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse in children.  
     I, like many of you reading this, know someone who has abused drugs and alcohol.  I was six years old when I watched my mother and her friends snorting cocaine and drinking Budweiser.   While she was under the influence, I was responsible for changing my brother’s diapers and feeding him.  I can remember being angry and afraid.  I was angry with my mother for not taking care of us.  I was afraid because I did not know what was going to happen to my brother and me.  To say my mother’s addiction did not have a serious effect on me would be an understatement.      
    “Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  The word sober means to be free from intoxicating influences.   In this context, it does not refer to the absence of intoxicating substances, but it focuses on the soundness of thought. Nevertheless, how can one have soundness of thought if he or she is under the influence of intoxicating substances?