Latoya Oldham: Opioid addiction is a problem here and we must act together
It breaks my heart to see a community filled with individuals who are addicts. To some individuals you may not see it as an community issue because addicts are not forced to abuse drugs. That’s true, but many were prescribed pain relieving opioids and these proved to be a gateway to addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 80 percent of people who currently abuse heroin first misused prescription opioids.
We, as a community and a nation, must take a portion of accountability and aim to help those who misuse drugs for the sake of everyone’s well-being. Whether we like to admit it or not, people with addictions effect our community.
The major steps we need to take is having more available resources for opioid treatment. There are not many places with openings. Many places either have long wait lists or cost too much for individual to afford. I believe our county should address this epidemic because the age of addiction seems to be getting younger. It is no longer just affecting our neighbors, colleague and adults. It is also affecting our children.
Latoya Oldham, Modesto
This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Latoya Oldham: Opioid addiction is a problem here and we must act together."