We are in a state of emergency, especially here in the area of the NYC area and Long Island. The drug heroin has been a rapidly growing problem throughout the years, which is really nothing new. To be honest I remembered whispers about heroin being an issue back in the 80’s., when I was growing up but I know it wasn’t as bad as it is today. The state of emergency that I’m concerned about is the lack of resources to help those seeking help and actually trying to make an attempt at reaching out.

I have to admit I really didn’t realize this was that bad of an issue until I found myself in the situation of trying to get a friend some help. Never in my life have I experienced such a frustrating process. The trouble to get someone to say yes we have a bed for you to go through detox in, not rehab just to get them to detox and then get them to rehab. It was one rejection after another. Even after they were told this was a matter of life and death. Yes I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but we weren’t being that way. It was the truth. I know that they probably heard those words a thousand time a day, which I personal think is sad in itself. Yet you can’t sit there and have countless numbers of news articles and reports stating that the rise of this particular drug problem with no real resolution.

I know that this is a situation that if you don’t actually deal with someone with this addiction, you just don’t care. Let me rephrase that – I know if it is not affecting someone directly you don’t realize how much of an issue the rise of this drug is. You always think no one I know would be affected by this thing. (I know because I was one of those people). I get this is an issue. I truly feel for those in the centers, hospitals and clinics that have to reject those that need help because the funding is not there.

It shouldn’t be this way. If the politicians are going to complain about this being an issue, I ask them. What happened to the funding for making an attempt at getting this issue under control? Where are the resources to grab his bull by the horns and stopping it in its tracks? I do know that like everything else it comes down to money. I also know that there are many that think and may even say out loud this is their problem. They put them into this situation. That is an argument for another day. Yet I have been hearing a lot the last couple of years how bad the situation is getting and there is no real resolution to the problem. What can we do now? What steps has to be taken to avoid the addiction to opium’s? What steps can be taken to aid the ones already addicted?

What we are currently doing just isn’t working.