CNHI
July 16, 2010 —
The editor:
Kentucky has only recently got a taste of the drug problem big cities have. When you’re watching someone you love slowly kill themselves with pills, it’s easy to blame the dealers or “doctors” in Florida doling out the stuff like it’s candy. I don’t believe that’s where the problem lies. Every week it seems you hear about a drug bust somewhere. But what good does it do?
Older generations did not treat pain medication like a party drug. Whatever has happened to people my age and younger that they’re choosing this path of self-destruction, it shows no sign of stopping. I fear for future generations and for children just now being born, what kind of society they’ll be living in. The idea of prayer has probably never crossed these people’s minds. The idea of learning to deal with pain in ways besides narcotics never crosses their minds. Do they not realize there are people suffering far worse than they are, and all they want to do is get high? This pill epidemic has shown me how incredibly selfish, ungrateful, and spoiled people have become. Someone once told me that without God, there is no way to sobriety, and I believe that to be true. I hope every new parent out there will instill values in their children and warn them of this evil. There are only two outcomes: prison or death.
I myself have a loved one suffering from pain pill addiction and can honestly say that I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I wouldn’t wish the heartache on anyone. To all those newly sober, I admire you. For anyone whose life is affected by addiction, my heart goes out to you.
Elizabeth Richards
Morehead
