HEROIN EPIDEMIC OUT OF CONTROL

It's clear that the heroin addiction epidemic in this country has reached epidemic proportions.

It's so bad you can now purchase narcan(naloxone), the heroin overdose reversal drug over-the-counter at your local pharmacy. Not only that, but, many first responders who are often police officers along with EMT's, are also authorized to carry this life-saving drug.

People of a variety of ages are becoming addicted and more and more are dying largely due to fatal powerful overdoses laced with deadly fentanyl.

The naloxone has already saved numerous lives in Northeast Ohio and undoubtedly the rest of the country as well. It can be administered simply by squirting it up the victims nose.

It should be considered a miracle drug as opposed to something users can count on to continuously save their lives. These addicts are playing Russian roulette with their lives and the majority of them know it.

Sad as it is, the act of saving lives with narcan is not enabling as some highly ignorant folks seem to think.

It's literally saving people's lives !

Society needs to become educated as to what enabling is,or isn't. But, even more importantly users need to wake up and realize the seriousness of beginning to "use" such a highly addictive potentially fatal drug to begin with.

An example of enabling is when a police officer is quoted in the local newspaper abhorring addicts to just not use the "white stuff."

Are you kidd'in me ?! It's like saying, "I'll arrest you and throw you in jail," but just don't use the white stuff(fentanyl). All that advice is going to accomplish is delay their ultimate death sentence.

Drug treatment centers are often too expensive and with a waiting line five miles long.

More time and money needs to be invested in order for this national epidemic to be dealt with expeditiously.

DAVE BURKEY
daveywriter@yahoo.com