Opiods--the true gateway drug. It starts by taking prescribed pain medication. Next thing you know, your daughter is an opiod addict. This began in her late teens. She is now 36 yo and lives the day-to-day existence of an addict, despite repeated offers of assistance to overcome this problem. My husband and I raise her 2 youngest, now 10 and 12. Her oldest, an angry young man, is a sr in hs and lives with his dad. The kids are super smart and faithful to God. But they long for the reuniting of their family unit. And they pray for her daily.

Drugs are a choice--initially. But that choice quickly us taken away and replaced with an all consuming need for it. A need that eclipses any and all human drive. Even the drive for survival. The only drive that is acknowledged is one that allows the acquisition and relentless imbibing of the one thing that destroys you and the people you used to love. Drug use leaves room for one thing--more drugs.

As adults, an opioid crisis is a personal problem that is a result of a combination of things. 1 the lack of understanding that too much of something is a truth that will absolutely provide proof that self control is a requirement of an adult and 2, the inability to control ones self as an adult.
I believe it is a crisis but it’s more of a character crisis that runs deeper than opioids and self control.
My personal position on topics such as this is deeply librarian. You get out what you put in because it’s your choice and your body as long as it doesn’t pose any harm on someone else.

Society desperately needs to learn the difference between vice and crime. Prosecute crime, counsel against vice. Passing a law doesn't change a vice into a crime.

Correct the root cause of the problem. Most overdose deaths are caused by drugs supplied by criminals and lacking quality control. Legalized, available over the counter, quality controlled opioids will end the overdose epidemic. Most users of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine remain productive, well-adjusted law-abiding citizens. Without prohibition, the same would be true of most users of "recreational" pharmaceuticals. There are hundreds of thousands of respectable professionals, politicians and middle class citizens who are regular users, without serious problems (as long as they avoid detection by law enforcement).

Allow addicts to retain some self respect, and give them a fighting chance to kick their addiction. Reduce the prison population and save billions of tax-payer dollars. Remove the revenue stream from the criminals. End drug-related gang violence. Allow law enforcement to focus on their primary function of protecting citizens.

Please, let's end the police state activities.

The opioid "crisis" it in three cities, but the entire country is being punished with red-tape and costly extra measure as a result. "Opioids were involved in 42,249 deaths in 2016" 0.00017% of the population, or about one in ten million people. there are 100 times as many people die of cancer and more than that to heart attacks. The top 10 causes of death in the USA are sicknesses. "Opioid involved" means that it may not have been the cause, but a person was using an Opioid that was somehow related to the death. Medical errors kill almost three times as many people as deaths associated to opioid. How are we defining "crisis"?

Definitely a big problem. Here in NYC and in my neighborhood opioids or an issue. The local hospital, Coney Island Hospital has reported a very high rise in overdoses. I know and have met to many people involved one way or another with opioids.