Elizabeth from "Grief Recovery after a Substance Passing"
Overdose deaths are now in pandemic range, thousands and thousands of beautiful people are dying because of addiction, starting for the most part on prescription drugs that in the 90's were marketed to MD's as a treatment for non-acute pain. The pain scale was developed, and big pharma took a serious drug that had only been used for dying cancer patients or post surgical patients, and they sold it to the medical profession as a great treatment for non-acute pain. Molar teeth removal, broken or fractured bones, etc. The big problem is that big pharma "forgot" to tell MD's about the potential side effects such as addiction and/or death. Healthcare in the US became a pill-oriented answer to all ailments. Too many patients, too little time, $ lost if they could not get a quick turnaround. Television advertisements of drugs in this country push patients to demand a pill answer… This activity has made katrillionaires of big pharma players.
When the pill crackdown happened 5-6 years ago, the collateral damage of much more difficulty getting them, kids turned to heroin because it was easily obtained, since the cartels are more than happy to enlarge their market. $5 for a hit of heroin could be delivered to your door in 5 minutes, ANYWHERE in the US. I lost my beautiful 30-year-old son from an accidental OD. I put his cause of death in [his] obituary. My anger and grief drove me to advocacy. I started the Delaware Chapter of GRASP (Grief Recovery after a Substance Passing), which saved my life so that I could help other parents. Three other couples from Delaware who lost beautiful children also got involved. One of those families started an non-profit for their son Tyler called atTAcKaddiction and in the first year of its existence, and my GRASP group we were able to get a Good Samaritan 911 Law passed. That law is called the "Kristen L Jackson & John M Perkins, Jr. Law". His father, sister and I are very proud that long after we are all dead and gone he will still be saving lives.