According to a 2016 study done by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), drug overdose deaths have increased by 21.5% in the United States. In 2017 alone, roughly 72,000 lives were lost to some type of drug overdose. Let that number sink in. Having trouble processing? Here's some comparison: about 15,000 people were killed in 2017 by guns.
Drugs are killing more people than guns.
While there is some data pertaining to analyzing groups of people that are affected the most, the numbers generally show that drug addiction does not have a specific target. Addiction doesn't care if you're rich, poor, thin, fat, black, white, male, female, young, old. It just wants to find the weakest part of you. The part that needs a sense of relief, that needs an escape from reality. The part of you that craves happiness in the form of a quick fix.
The argument that I've been hearing (in varying forms, but the base is similar) is as follows: "Drug addiction is not a disease. It's a choice. That person knew drugs are addictive and used them regardless, so it's their own fault."
I understand where the opinion comes from. In fact, I agree with the only viable fact in that statement: it was an active choice for the individual to use drugs for the first time.
However, the rest is a load of shit.
Here is a list of the top addictions in the U.S. as of 2018 (besides drug addiction, of course):
Coffee/caffeine. Roughly 30% of Americans have a classified caffeine addiction.
Gambling. 80% of the U.S. population have partaken in gambling at least once, which leads to addiction in many.
Compulsive shopping. As many as 17 million people feel that they cannot control their shopping problem, despite relationship or financial issues.
Internet/phone. The statistics showing how many people log on to the world wide web is astounding; but not only simply checking in on social media sites, there is the ever-present pornography addiction.
Food addiction. This one is huge. This could pertain to binge eating, anorexia/bulimia, or other eating disorders. But many don't consider the addiction to processed food! Many studies indicate that when people try to quit sugar, the body and mind produce symptoms of withdrawal. I can vouch for this due to my symptoms that lasted FOUR MONTHS when I quit processed sugar this year: headaches, hot sweats in the night, brain fog, exhaustion, mood swings, skin problems, shaking of the fingers, irritability. (Keep in mind that once my body got through the "need" for sugar, the symptoms finally ceased)
Nicotine. I think we're all fairly aware of the rising nicotine dependency in our world.
Alcohol. I will discuss this one below.
I'm sure the next argument will be "But Cassie, caffeine and shopping will not kill people! Those are harmless compared to drugs."
In a way, I see your point.
But let's go back to alcohol. Here is the basic number: 86.4% of people aged 18 or older have had alcohol at some point in their lifetime. How many of us have had alcohol at least once, even if that doesn't mean getting drunk?
Do we all suffer alcoholism? No. But how do you develop an addiction? You try it ONCE. And your brain might, unfortunately, have the chemical ramifications to feel dependent on that certain substance.
The same could be said for food addiction; everybody needs to eat to survive, but some people's brains release addictive-like chemicals when binge eating or indulging in large amounts of processed foods (side note: about 400,000 adult deaths every year are a result from obesity, so I would argue that food addiction can also be deadly).
My point is this: drug addiction is killing our loved ones. It is a major epidemic. But stop claiming that this is not a disease based off of that person's poor choice to try the harmful substance. You have most likely partaken in some form of activity/substance that could be addictive to some. The difference is your brain, so congrats! You got lucky. Unless you're 100% perfect, or you've never made a mistake, or never had a regret in your life, stop blaming the sick people. Let's start blaming the drugs.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/upshot/opioids-overdose-deaths-rising-fentanyl.html
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0329-drug-overdose-deaths.html
https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/gun-deaths-increase-2017/
https://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/539/1/Top-Ten-Addictions/Page1.html
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
https://www.addictionhope.com/food/