Linda from Lexington, Ky.
Anyone can become addicted to opioids and "graduate" to heroin when the other drugs aren't available or become expensive, as is the case. My son started using Percocets with a girlfriend who had been prescribed the pills by her doctor. Once on that road, people don't realize how easy it is to stay there and when there is an end to the prescribing of the pills, heroin is a cheap alternative....but fentanyl is widely used to cut the heroin and is a quick trip to the morgue. There is no way to come back when you have enough fentanyl in your system to kill 3 or 4 people, as was the case with my son. We never think it will happen to us. We are wrong.
Too many people don't know what they are using, what it is that they are injecting or snorting, etc. And they are dying. Over 40 years ago my own mother became dependent on pain pills, Valium and others after she had back surgery. She took those pills, prescribed by her doctor for years afterwards. It was almost impossible for her to quit taking them. She had to be weaned off and I know she went through withdrawal. However, these were "legal" drugs, so people didn't think much of that issue, then. I believe drug companies are in the business to make money, support their bottom line and they don't care who uses their drugs, as long as they do use them.
I don't know what the answers are, as to legalizing drugs but I will say nothing that is going on now is working. I've read about other countries that have legalized drugs and regulate them, that those countries seem to have a better handle on their particular protocol. Do I think the US would be better served if we adopted that protocol? It might be better than what we have now. Seems what we have now is a huge mess and lots of sick, addicted and dead people. As a parent of a child lost to addiction, I can only say there has to be a better way.