The U.S. is a country blessed with a vibrant economy and advanced technologies – America is a leading nation that other nations follow. Many nations hold the U.S. in high esteem; they talk about its successes and overlook its failures.
America’s most critical issues are swept under the carpet by our government and media. We see the problems. Most times, we acknowledge the problems. However, we mostly just sit back and watch, taking little or no promising steps to address the problems.
One of America’s pressing problems is the high prevalence of opioid use among our people – this problem is rightly dubbed the opioid crisis because it is indeed a crisis. By the way, the opioid crisis is not a new problem in America. It has been prevalent and pervasive and so are its consequences.
Every year, opioid use claims hundreds of thousands of young people’s lives in the U.S. The road to getting high or relying too heavily on properly or improperly prescribed medications constantly leads many Americans to their untimely death. Yet, our model country would not take concrete action to deliver its population from the opioid pathway. For a country that portrays itself as one that places a high premium on human lives, this is certainly not good enough!
Opioids are very potent drugs often prescribed to people as painkillers; however, some people delve into opioid usage to exploit its potent mood-elevating properties; but, with the potency of opioids comes a grave side effect: addiction. It is interesting to note that opioid addiction is not inherent; no one is genetically doomed to abuse opioids. Rather, opioid addiction is a harmful consequence of opioid use that begins with the brain cells getting adapted to repeated opioid use – called tolerance – and, as a result, demanding more and more opioids to achieve satisfaction – known as dependence – before finally resulting in an addiction. Cases of opioid addiction are widespread, especially among celebrities. Sadly, most cases end tragically. Logan Williams and Mac Miller are just a few unfortunate victims of the American opioid crisis.
When a person becomes addicted to opioids, he/she is compelled to use them in larger quantities repeatedly and inordinately. Such a person will be unavoidably blind to the fact that using opioids, even in a small amount, can be deadly because he/she is addicted. That’s why when the U.S. federal agents claimed to have seized enough opioids to cause the demise of every American in 2022 alone, some people realized the gravity of the crisis at hand. Unfortunately, many of us are still not seeing the trouble that awaits. For that large quantity of opioids to be seized, it means much more opioids – enough to turn all Americans into addicts and potentially kill them – are in circulation, and this indirectly means more lives will be lost to opioid abuse, many families will suffer grief, communities will be devastated, and America is bound to suffer the loss of huge and consequential human capital.
It’s time for America to fight for the lives of our citizens before the opioid crisis affects our nation to the point of no redemption. This crisis slipped through the hands of past presidents, Congress, and the media. But we can still fix this, so I say wake up America, our people are dying unnecessarily.
Yetunde is smart, kind, and has a lovable personality. A constant learner with an impressive work ethic and terrific creative skills. She is devoted to personal and spiritual growth and she cherishes the company of people, books, and nature.
It’s very true that while we see the problems, little is done to address them. I hope we can be more proactive in find paths forward.