Demographic Decline, Alcohol And Drug Abuse Increase: It's Economy, Stupid

Recently I read very interesting ZeroHedge articles regarding:

• the demographic decline of Europe (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/europe-committing-demographic-suicide)
• the increasing alcohol abuse (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-09/study-warns-binge-drinking-crisis-alcoholism-rates-spike-49)
• the increasing drug abuse ( http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-16/teenage-drug-deaths-surge-20-opioid-crisis-worsens)

However, are these issues to be viewed separately or do they have the same roots and therefore are linked?

The latter seems to be true. As President Clinton once said "it is economy, stupid".

The deteriorating economy, rising costs, stagnating incomes, the lack of jobs and perspectives are ingredients of this witch's brew. Its results are the issues described in ZeroHedge articles.

However, what I find infuriating, is the way the mainstream media treat these issues. Instead of searching for real reasons, they rather descibe them as a temporary trends (this word seems to be the politically correct replacement of the word "problem").

Well, these "trends" may be temporary, but the consequences will be of a long-term nature.