Everyone has heard so much about the drug epidemic that our nation is in right now. Overdoses are at an all time high, the drugs are becoming more and more accessible, it's not even just one drug anymore, and despite every attempt by police officers and politicians alike to bring this problem under control, the exact opposite happens. With each passing day, this problem grows worse, impacting more and more people than it did in the previous 24 hours. It's awful situation to be in, and it's one where the light at the end of the tunnel seems more like a train each day.
But, seeing this happen on television and reading about it news stories is one thing -- experiencing it firsthand? That's a completely different story. Imagine living in one of these cities. Imagine living in a place that's being torn apart by drug abuse. Imagine living in a place where families are losing members and friends are losing those they held most dear. Imagine watching so many people you know impacted by the decisions of others or even their own decisions, because either help isn't readily accessible or they just don't want it. Whatever the circumstances happen to be, they live in an environment that makes addiction easy. It's cheap, it's accessible, and it's the opening chapter of a living nightmare.
Living in one of these cities probably doesn't seem like it's all that desirable of a thing, and trust me when I confirm that it isn't. I live in one of these cities, and not just any of one of them. I live in the city that comes up most often in these reports. I live in the city that, as of a few months ago, was considered the worst in the nation for drug overdoses.
Dayton, Ohio used to be a city that was considered to be a city of progress, a city that was supposed to be going places, a city that was going to change the world one day. Okay, maybe that last statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but all in all, Dayton was a city that had potential. It was home to some of the headquarters of some of the bigger corporations in the United States, as well as being home to some of the biggest manufacturing plants in the Midwest, most notably the GM plant that closed in December 2008. As these corporations left, it seemed they took a bit of Dayton's potential with it as Dayton was ranked 505 out of 515 of the nation's fastest growing cities.
I'm not saying that these sorts of economic turmoil are necessarily to blame for the epidemic, as that has so much more to do with the geographical location of Dayton, as it's almost centralized in the middle of any route going from the West to the East, but it certainly doesn't help painting a better future for Dayton.
I've watched neighborhoods that I had friends in, neighborhoods that I've lived in, torn apart because of people suffering from these addictions or the people who peddle these drugs, fueling the problem with each sale they make. I've had friends die, friends of friends die, and I've even had friends who have witnessed people overdosing firsthand. Sometimes, these overdoses occurred in the privacy of one's own home, but not everyone was fortunate enough to be spared that. There have been overdoses in gas station restrooms, restaurant restrooms, and just about every place that you could imagine. Even if you're not directly involved in these situations, even if you're not the one taking these drugs, you're involved, because the whole of the city is getting dragged into these situations.
The actions of a few are no longer just impacting them and a few surrounding them. They possess an impact on a much grander scale now. These drugs are tearing apart communities, damning a city that once held so much potential to the title "Heroin Capital of the Midwest," surely not the charming nickname locals were hoping for. It's terrifying having to watch a city that you love slowly going down in flames. It's terrifying seeing how the people around you change, because all of a sudden, they feel more threatened than they used to and rightfully so. It's terrifying to see a nation turn against people who are in dire need of help because we have no way to help them and as such, they become more of a threat to us than an equal member of society.
People's lives are what are at stake here, not just the lives of those involved in these addictions, but the lives of innocent people as well, people who had nothing to do with it, people whose only mistake was being at the wrong place in the wrong time. People no longer feel as safe as they used to, and while I understand that it's a changing world, so there's a number of reasons for this feeling of being unsafe, I know that this problem has a huge impact in my city. I've seen what it's done firsthand, and unfortunately, I know that I'm also going to have to witness the continuation of this downfall.
But, it doesn't have to stay that way. I know that it's not going to be an easy fix and it's certainly not going to be some sort of overnight solution. I know that there's already plays and moves in place to try to improve upon this situation, and for that, I'm extremely thankful. But, thus far, that hasn't been enough. This hasn't become as widespread enough of a concern for the action that we need to be taken to be taken.
So, I urge you, the next time you see stories like this pop up, don't just scroll past them. Pay attention to them. Let your actions speak louder than your words and do what you can to help. Even if it's just raising awareness, every little bit counts, because until this problem becomes more of an issue on the country's radar, it's just going to continue to be a little burning blip that no one even notices. I know that might sound dramatic, and maybe it is. But, when a city that you care for so dearly is on the path to ruin, wouldn't you get a little dramatic too?
