Some Indicators Are Bad
by Mike James
In some of my blog posts, I have argued that things are not always as bad as some try to make it seem. I want to now offer some support for the negative side of things. In November, the United States government announced that over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. That is the first time U.S. drug overdose deaths have crossed the 6-figure threshold in any 12 month period.
Partly to blame for this increase is the use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl is much more powerful than morphine and heroin, which are potent opioids. In fact, over 64,000 of the 100,000 deaths were due to fentanyl. Fentanyl is being added to other drugs like cocaine and counterfeit pills, killing people who ingest it unknowingly.
Another big part of the uptick in overdose deaths is due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More people are suffering from depression and anxiety due to the pandemic, and this leads to an increase in drug use.
As further evidence of this epidemic, the nation's first overdose prevention centers opened in New York City on November 30, 2021. The trained staff at two locations in Manhattan will monitor drug users who consume street drugs. The staff will then step in if anyone they are monitoring overdoses. The indoor centers began accepting people the same day they opened.
Similar places are available in 12 countries, and these places have never suffered an overdose death while overseeing the use of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other street drugs by millions of users, according to Alex Kral, a researcher at the think tank RTI International who conducts studies on safe consumption sites.
I'm all for saving lives, and there is no doubt safe consumption sites have reduced overdose deaths. The big problem is they don't end addiction and, in some cases, might prolong it. This can be debated, of course. The New York sites will offer counseling which can hopefully help some rid themselves of the addiction.
"It's time to face the fact that this crisis seems to be getting worse," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra stated. "We need all hands on deck."
I don't know how many of you recall the 1980s and the catchphrase "war on drugs" during that time period. The idea was that our government was going to wage war on drugs. Obviously, it seems like this is a never-ending war. Looking back on the history of this country, we can see that illegal drugs have never been eradicated.
In some cases, like alcohol and marijuana (19 states and the District of Columbia), the once illegal drug has become legal. I'm not saying we should outlaw legal drugs, but I am saying that even legal drugs do a lot of harm to society.
As with so many societal problems, we need to get to the root of the problem before we can solve it. When we look at drugs, what is it that an addict gains from this destructive behavior? Well, what drugs do is they create a good feeling in the person who takes them. These chemicals provide a chemical release in our brains that provides a sense of better feelings for a period.
Why would someone want to feel better? For a lot of reasons. For many drug abusers, it is due to an unfulfilled need in "regular life." A lack of love, connection, or relationship can lead to the need to fill the void for a short time with chemicals that take away the negative feelings. The danger is that many then need to feel the feeling again and again because it is a better state than their present reality—the drug then becomes an idol and a god to the user.
The best answer to this problem is the answer to all our human problems, Jesus Christ. God gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) so anyone could have everlasting life and a more fulfilled human life. The only final victory that will come in the war on drugs is when you develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ can fill the void in all our lives (Philippians 4:19).
Sources:
"Drug Deaths Hit Grim Peak," by Dan Keating and Lenny Bernstein, in the Washington Post, November 18, 2021.
"In a First for U.S. Centers to Prevent Drug Overdoses Open in New York City," by Lenny Bernstein and Meryl Kornfield, in the Washington Post, December 1, 2021.
"Map of Marijuana Legality by State," at https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state.