The sun warms your cheeks as your hair swirls wildly with the breeze. You stretch your arm out of the window as if you can actually catch a piece of the wind. Suddenly, you are in a whirlwind of flying glass. You feel pieces cutting into your flesh. You hear the sound of twisting metal. Everything goes black. Hours later, you are awakened by fluorescent lights beaming into your swollen face. You escape with minor cuts and aches. You feel so lucky that the universe has spared you; lucky that you will be able to feel the sun and wind on your mortal body again. At this time, you have no idea what a profound effect this car accident will have on the rest of your life.
The doctor explains that, although your injuries are minor, they will be painful. You will suffer severe discomfort. He prescribes a drug that you have only heard of, Vicodin.You are aware that the drug can be extremely addicting. You have even known some friends who have been hooked on similar drugs. A voice inside your rattled brain reassures you: "He is a doctor. You can trust him. He would never prescribe you something you could not handle." Although hesitant, you get the prescription filled on your way home from the hospital.
I want to begin this article with some statistics and definitions that pertain to the current and boundless opioid epidemic that is ruthlessly killing Americans all over the nation. According to The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) "Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illicit drug heroin as well as the licit prescription pain relievers oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and others". Let's think about what this definition means for a second.Heroin, an illegal illicit drug sold by low life dealers, is in the same category as legal prescription painkillers. Why are prescription drugs legal? These multi-billion dollar corporations fund political parties, that's why. You do not just give millions of dollars to a political party for the hell of it. Everyone has an agenda. Furthermore, it is completely legal for a doctor to accept money from companies with the understanding that they will advocate for certain drug(s).
ASAM also states, "Of the 21.5 million Americans 12 or older that had a substance use disorder in 2014, 1.9 million had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers and 586,000 had a substance use disorder involving heroin". Pain pill addicts almost double the amount of people who are Heroin users. If prescription drugs were not on the market, perhaps many of those victims of addiction would be living completely normal lives. Children would have their parents. Brothers and sisters might have never been separated by death. Perhaps, friends would still be laughing together here on Earth.
Corporations should not be allowed to profit off of the weakness and literal disease of other human beings. No matter how you try to defend the greed of these companies, executives are making billions of dollars by creating highly addictive and deadly drugs and feeding them to our citizens. Once these prescribed drugs become too difficult to obtain, addicts then turn to Heroin. In turn, Heroin overdoses are at an all time high due in part to the fact that it is being cut with Fentanyl. Another drug- that is, you guessed it, a pharmaceutical opioid. Crazy how it all comes full circle, isn't it?
Do me a favor and Imagine that it is you in the narrative in which began this article. You have been shaken up by a horrific car accident. You are having trouble sleeping. Your back aches and your neck is sore. You begin to take the prescribed pills a little more often than what is recommended in order to help ease your pain. Unbeknownst to you, you are building a psychological and physical dependence to the prescription. Unbeknownst to you, you were born with several traits that have made you much more likely to become an addict. The day comes that you have been dreading. The last pill of your last prescription is gone. Impatiently, you wait as the phone rings. An old acquaintance answers. You ask if they are still doing Heroin. If so, can you depend on them to help you in your quest to get high?
It truly happens for many, just like that. Please, if you find yourself reading this article there is one thing I hope you take away: addiction is a disease in which anyone can suffer. Addicts are victims of a truly flawed system in which our generation can reform. We need to pass legislation where it will hurt these companies the most: the wallet.
Recently, I decided to go public with an article that I wrote after a friend's untimely passing. The basis of this article was upon years of built up frustration from watching both family and friends take on an uphill battle with drug addiction, specifically with opioids. The article was shared over 1,000 times in just 24 hours. It showed me how many of us have not just known, but have loved someone struggling with this type of addiction. We can stand up against these corporations and drug dealers in our neighborhoods. In coming articles, I plan to extensively highlight ways in which we all can make a difference in honor of the loved ones stolen from us too soon.
We need to hold dealers of these drugs responsible, whether they are your local heroin dealer down the street, or a multi-billion dollar corporation located in a high rise. How are the suit and tie wearing executives of pharmaceutical companies any different than a drug dealer who works out of a shitty apartment in the slums of your town? I don't see a difference. Do you?
