I was born and raised in a suburb of Annapolis, Maryland. I've relocated in recent years, but I tend to visit regularly. Every time I go back something is different, normal stuff - old buildings have come down, new buildings have gone up, and there's always a new neighbor close by. But I've noticed something a little sadder too.
There are several funeral homes near my old home, and they're constantly packed! It just seems to be a constant flow of mourners and funeral processions. But I've also seen that there's always a big group of teenagers or young adults in the parking lots.
I learned that's because 152 young adults died in my hometown from opioid-related overdoses in 2017. In fact, opioid-related overdoses are the number one cause of death in people under the age of 50 in the United States. The leading culprits are Heroin, Fentanyl, and Carfentanil.
Most of us have heard of heroin, but if you haven't heard of the other two here is a little of what they are. Essentially, they are a class of synthetic opioids. Fentanyl, a medication for severe and chronic pain, is 50-100 times more powerful than Heroin. Carfentanil is 100 times stronger than Fentanyl, and 5000 times stronger than Heroin. Carfentanil is so powerful that it is used as an elephant tranquilizer, it has also been a concern for use in chemical warfare, as a weapon of mass destruction. (Note: since the publication of this article by the AP, China and other countries have passed laws and initiatives in response to our opioid crisis)
The majority of overdoses and accidental deaths occur because consumers think they are purchasing pure heroin. Instead, they are getting a synthetic material that could be anywhere from 50 to 5000 times stronger than what they are anticipating. Add alcohol and/or recreational drugs to the mix and its a recipe for disaster.
In my home state, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has heard his constituents and has passed numerous laws and bills to make life-saving measures more accessible and recovery options more available. Here in Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker has passed similar initiatives.
I can't help but think of the families: The children of addicts who have to struggle just as much, the friends who are caught in-between abandoning friendships but not wanting to enable, and the mothers and fathers who have been forced to bury their children.
According to STAT, if trends stay as they are "opioids could kill nearly as many Americans in a decade as HIV/AIDS has killed since the epidemic began in the early-1980s".
It makes me want to act up, take a stand, to use my voice for good! But how? What am I capable of doing in such a time of crisis, an epidemic?
I decided to sing. I chose to use my voice, through art, to heal. And I learned that when you present your work from a place of genuine honesty, people respond in big ways.
My most meaningful piece to perform is an African American Spiritual arranged by the late, prolific Hall Johnson. This piece is stated from the perspective of a witness to the execution of Jesus Christ. The witness hears Christ say to a follower "Take My Mother Home" so she will not have to watch him suffer, and die.
I offer this in hopes of bringing awareness to a crisis. To provide some form of advocacy to anyone involved with this epidemic who feels they need it. But most importantly, I hope to offer a moment to reflect, grieve, and heal.
For the Mothers and Fathers who have lost their children to this horrible disease, addiction:
