The Rolling Stones 1966 hit, “Mother’s Little Helper,” was a warning about addiction to Valium, a tranquilizer used by a legion of western women “…to get her through her busy day.” Of course, there is no comparison between the relatively placid suburban existence of the 1960s and the nightmare of Baghdad at war today. According to Riverbend, Valium is in the emergency first-aid kit of most Baghdad families to help them them make it through their day, and through the night.
Drug addiction is growing in Iraq, but as Riverbend remarks, Iraqis have other concerns which are more pressing; like protecting their children from kidnappers and bombs in this continuing disastrous war and occupation. As she puts it so well, it’s “like discovering you have cancer while you’re fighting off a hungry alligator- you’ll worry about the disease later.”