The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency, which took 72,000 lives in 2017. Our country is firmly in the midst of an epidemic, leaving many Americans wondering what to do and who to turn to for answers.
The difficult truth is that drug overdoses are currently our nation’s leading cause of accidental death. In an otherwise healthy country with widespread access to medical care, thousands are literally dying in their excess – losing their lives to drugs purchased out of dependency rather than dire need.
Deaths by drug overdose particularly pain us because they feel senseless. All around us, friends, family members, and loved ones are slipping through the cracks of addiction, hiding from help, and trying to cope with the effects of these deadly drugs all on their own.
After all, isn’t that the greatest lie? That we’re all alone? That no one understands?