When is an “accident” not one? Actors Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro succumb to their disease. It’s no accident.
Actors Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro succumb to “accidental” overdoses
When does addiction-fueled risk-taking make an “accident” not an accident?
English contains numerous words with dozens of meanings. For example, the word “run” has over 90 different definitions. While such nuances can make language more interesting and beautiful, it can also lead to a lack of clarity, making words less useful and communication more difficult.
Progress is enhanced by increasing specificity and differentiating meanings. In science, a singular idea is usually ascribed to each word, allowing scientists around the globe speaking different languages to efficiently exchange information and add to mankind’s knowledge. Compared with the physical sciences and mathematics, from a libertarian perspective there have been far fewer advances in the so-called “social” sciences. This may in part be due to the fact that few seem able to agree on distinct definitions. “Freedom” is one such word (after all, both Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin said they favored “freedom”); “alcoholism” and “accident” are two others.*
Creating a new word for different concepts currently described by the term “accident” could improve our understanding of events. In the past month, actor Brad Renfro, 25, died from a heroin overdose and actor Heath Ledger, 28, died from an overdose of multiple prescription drugs, including the legal forms of heroin (oxycodone and hydrocodone, commonly known as Oxy-Contin and Vicodin) and Valium/Xanax and equivalents (diazepam, temazepam and alprazolam). Former U.S. figure skating champion Christopher Bowman, whose story was recounted in the January 2008 Thorburn Addiction Report (“Sometimes it takes an addict”), was confirmed to have died of a drug overdose with cocaine, Valium, marijuana and alcohol (.12 per cent) in his system. All were termed “accidental overdoses.” Using the commonly accepted definition of the word, all three were accidents: “unintentional, unforeseen” events. However, the “unintentional” event of death by drug overdose is dramatically different than death by slamming one’s car into another in a sudden heavy fog or blizzard, or the Challenger space craft blowing up a minute after lift-off.
While tragic and sudden adverse events do occur despite careful thinking unclouded by a damaged frontal lobe, they are far more likely to occur with alcoholism, a disorder that causes such damage. This is particularly true since the lower brain centers often impel the afflicted person to act recklessly.
Evidence abounds that 50% to 80% of “accidents” involve some sort of recklessness on the part of alcoholically brain-damaged individuals. As shown in Get Out of the Way! about half of road fatalities involve alcohol or other-drug addiction. Studies cited in “Drunks, Drugs & Debits” found that one or more of the participants in 70-90% of snowmobile, workplace and incendiary accidents were likely addicts. Although lacking studies, we might deduce that drug overdose “accidents” almost always involve an addicted person.
The trouble with the lack of differentiation underlying causes of accidents is that the word fails to distinguish between clear-thinking people who simply goofed and individuals suffering from distortions of perceptions, rendering them incapable of rationally weighing risks. The resulting confusion over meaning can mislead others–particularly budding young addicts, who may be thinking “that would never happen to me.” While young addicts may not be readily capable of getting the message, they occasionally have moments of lucidity during periods of abstinence. Another word, another phrase might save a life, here or there. However, until we come up with a more accurate word for “accident contributed to or caused by distortions of perception from brain damage rooted in alcohol or other-drug addiction,” if we hope to increase the odds of communicating an accurate message, such cumbersome terminology will have to do.
* An improved definition of alcoholism is provided in “How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics” and “Alcoholism Myths and Realities.” The definition is more specific than that in common use, which makes it more useful. By removing a late-stage symptom from the definition (“loss of control over use”) and asserting that its roots are genetic, resulting in a biochemical difference between alcoholics and non-alcoholics, the definition removes from consideration those who merely drink out of “habit” or “abuse” the drug. By stating that it causes behavioral disorders, it allows identification of early-stage alcoholism, increasing the utility of the definition.