Tackling the Overdose Epidemic with Compassion and Care: Not Mass Deportation

“911, what’s your emergency?”

                                                                                                      “I need medical attention immediately!”

                                                                        “I think my daughter has overdosed and is not responsive.”

    

    Those are the last few words I heard before my life was changed forever. In April 2012, my mother overdosed from taking too many of her painkillers. In the years that followed, my mother’s addiction continued to take its toll on her, and on us. I learned that addiction doesn’t just destroy the person who is using- it rips through entire families, leaving scars that never fully heal.

    In the last decade, drug overdoses have become a major issue within America. From 2015 to 2024, fatal overdoses have roughly tripled in the United States. According to CBS News, nearly 110,000 American citizens died of drug overdoses in 2022 alone. With this rapid rise in fatal overdoses, it brings forth questions that have no clear answers. What is causing this surge in overdoses? How are different demographics affected? And most importantly, what can we do as humans to reduce overdoses and tackle addiction? Through this blog, I will try and provide answers to these complex questions.

 

Synthetic Opioids:

    One of the main contributors to the overdose epidemic is thought to be the introduction of synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids are man-made drugs that mimic the effects of naturally occurring opioids such as codeine and morphine. These man-made drugs are often more potent and stronger than naturally occurring drugs. One synthetic opioid that is responsible for the majority of overdoses is fentanyl.

    USA Facts states, “In 2022, fentanyl was responsible for 200 deaths every day. Over a quarter of a million Americans have died from a fentanyl overdose since 2018.” That is nearly 250,000 American lives lost in the past 5 years from fentanyl alone! Fentanyl is also a large issue for teens and young adults. This is because Fentanyl is often used in replacement of other more expensive drugs such as cocaine. Unknowing young adults buy some drugs for a party thinking it was cocaine, but end up in the hospital or dead due to fentanyl. We as a nation cannot allow our people, especially our youth, to suffer and lose their lives to addiction and man-made drugs.

 

United States Fentanyl Deaths over the Years

Demographics:

    Overdose deaths impact different demographics in multiple ways. Things such as age, race, and economic status can influence the chance someone has to overdose. For instance, according to UCLA Health, “An average of 22 adolescents 14 to 18 years of age died in the U.S. each week in 2022 from drug overdoses.” This absurd statistic reveals that it is not only adults who are affected by the overdose epidemic, but also our youth.

    Race also comes into play when it comes to the United States’ drug epidemic. In recent years, overdose rates have drastically risen in black and indigenous communities. In 2019, white people had the highest rate of overdose deaths with about 25 deaths per 100,000 people. However, in just 4 years black and indigenous people now have the highest rate of overdose deaths. In 2023 the overdose rates for black people were 49 deaths out of every 100,000 people, and the rates for indigenous people were 40 out of 100,000. Limited access to healthcare, systemic inequalities, and racial biases in the healthcare system contribute to these disparities.

    Studies show that economic status also plays a role in the United States’ drug epidemic. This is because people with low incomes often have less access to healthcare. Low income and economic insecurity are also often linked to anxiety and depression. These mental health issues can cause a person to begin using drugs to cope with their worries.

 

Solutions:

    For us as a nation to successfully combat drug addiction and overdoses we must first let go of the stigma behind people who use. We should not instantly judge someone for what they do, but instead, we should approach them with compassion and understanding. This approach will make those who are addicted not so ashamed about it. This will lead to more drug users that are willing to enter treatment and speak about their addictions. 

    When it comes to the mindless republican representatives, they believe the main root of the drug epidemic is from illegal immigrants crossing the United States border with drugs to sell. They think that the best way to combat the surge in drug abuse is through mass deportation and stricter border laws. This is simply just not the case. Drug abuse is largely demand-driven, so without addressing the demand for drugs, the issue will never truly go away. Stricter border rules would also hurt us diplomatically as a nation, especially if the rules disrupt trade and movement.

    The first step to combat the United States’ drug epidemic is to increase the amount of drug rehabilitation centers within our nation. We must also provide more harm reduction centers to minimize the negative health effects individuals who use drugs experience. Ultimately, as a nation, we need to unite in breaking the stigma surrounding drug use and supporting our fellow citizens in overcoming addiction. This is no easy task and it will not be possible to take down the drug epidemic until we as a nation come together and put forth effort to help out fellow citizens.