Why are we ignoring this problem?

Beautiful souls are being stolen, life's taken. Why aren't we waking up?

This devil drug has to be eliminated, action must be taken and there is no time to wait.

Heroin use has to stop.

Some might say that I'm naive, that I don't understand - and if that's what you're thinking you're completely right... I've tried and tried to understand, but cannot wrap my head around why somebody would use, even just once - because the consequences are detrimental. I've seen friend after friend buried by their loved ones too soon, have had hard conversations with addicts, watched many documentaries, the whole nine yards... and from that, I understand the consequences and wouldn't take that risk.

But this isn't about one's ability to understand why or why not somebody chooses to use drugs, nor is it to criticize. I believe that we need to hate the addiction, not the addict.

This is a long overdue step in the direction of educating and advocating for the elimination of heroin use.

We're all on different life paths, exposed to different people and places - and we cannot blame those who are not educated about drug use... sometimes, you never know until it's too late. We need to wake up and understand that the only people who can change the fate of the future is US. All of us - those who have lost a loved one due to an addiction, who have overcome an addiction of their own, or who want comfort in knowing that our younger siblings and future children won't take that dance with the devil.

We must educate our future on the risk of drug use. We must wake up and recognize the gruesome truth that kids are being exposed to drugs, young. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away.

We must celebrate the life's of those we have lost and become activists - for the future, for them.

Be that change. Have those hard conversations, don't be afraid to offer a helping hand. Vow to educate and advocate, wake up to the harsh reality that this won't go away on it's own. Never stop loving those who are on that path, and let that be motivation to spread awareness so that path becomes blocked off, for good.