Is the US still at war with drugs, Or have we already lost? 

Zachary Nichols – Staff Writer 

Date: March 16, 2024 

STOCKTON– In recent years a dangerous epidemic has sweeped not only California, but the whole nation. This epidemic has been responsible for taking thousands of lives with its lethal dosage being incredibly low. By this description alone you might be able to guess what I’m talking about here, and you’re likely right, it’s fentanyl. Most cases of overdosing on fentanyl come from unsuspecting drug users who were unaware of the ingredients that were mixed in with their drugs; drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and even counterfeit pills made to look like prescription medication, usually sold at a lower price by a third party organization or individual. In this article, I would like to highlight the scary statistics surrounding this highly lethal drug and why we should be more cautious of it moving forward. 

In the United States alone, it is estimated that at least 150 people die every day due to fentanyl-related overdoses. Now multiply that by 365 days, or a full year, and you have at least 56 thousand deaths annually. This is just the average number. In reality, deaths from fentanyl/synthetic opioid use have skyrocketed to over 112,000 as of 2023. This figure is immense and, to put it into perspective, has passed the annual fatality rate for diabetes in the United States. California alone has attributed 6,000 deaths as a byproduct of fentanyl/altered opioid usage. California’s easy access to just about any drug manufacturer/individual in the underground market is scary. To this we must ask ourselves what we can do individually, and as a larger community, to stop this drug from continuing to wreak havoc upon our communities.

For starters, I would certainly suggest getting in touch with local support groups and centers of education where you can better understand and help combat against the growing epidemic. I’d also suggest that if you have any information regarding the sale or distribution of illegal narcotics that you submit an anonymous tip to your local precinct as these tips truly do save lives. I personally have dealt with loss as a result of a fentanyl-related overdose and I firmly believe that one person is simply one too many, no matter the situation. Again, I encourage anyone who knows anything regarding the distribution/sale of illegal narcotics to speak to authorities regarding the situation and if you are struggling with addiction of any kind, know that you are not alone and people around you are always willing to help.