A Deepening Crisis in America Updated Numbers from SAMHSA: Hope, but the battle rages on.
The latest dispatch from SAMHSA isn’t pretty… The opioid crisis continues to destroy lives. The bottom line: one hundred and thirty Americans die every day as a result of an overdose. Sadly, the numbers are only growing. As a case in point, earlier this year, Google announced their plans to open a treatment facility, appropriately named “OneFifteen” for the 115 Americans who die every day from opioid overdose. Now that the 2017 data has become available, that statistic has already grown to 130. Today, millions are still in the grip of addiction, with new victims continuing to swell the ranks of a disease that does not discriminate. All areas of the United States are affected, with people of all ages, backgrounds and social strata, suffering from this scourge. However, not unexpectedly, certain areas of the United States are more prone to misuse of opioids, particularly heroin and fentanyl as of late–namely America’s long-gone industrial belt, “the rust belt,” where economic loss has ushered in unemployment, poverty, loss of community and an enduring sense of hopelessness. Here’s an illustrated “quick look” at these disturbing numbers… One of the 5 most important topics… If you navigate over to the White House website, you’ll see the current Administration’s policy priorities, shown as links across the top of the home page: the Economy, National Security, the National Budget, Immigration and “The Opioid Crisis.” Click that link and you’ll find a wealth of information, including video, quotes, action plans and additional resources. The inclusion of that link at the top of the White House homepage demonstrates that the current administration takes this issue seriously. Very seriously. Let’s see if the policies instituted follow the rhetoric.
