What is the war on drugs? The media talks about how America is in a constant struggle with drugs. However, few people know when this war started. Worse still, few people don’t notice that America is close to losing this war.
The War on Drugs
The drug war officially developed in the 1970s. In 1971, President Richard Nixon told members of Congress that they have to destroy the drug menace in America. If they don’t put a stop to it, he explained, drugs might ruin this very nation.
Since then, the war has caused a massive escalation of police and military efforts against drugs. It hit a fever pitch during the Reagan administration. However, the crackdown on substances brought more violence.
To make matters worse, America never won or lost this war. It’s an ongoing fight that the country continues. Despite the government fighting drugs, people have seen an increase in some drug use over the decades. Heroin and opioid use have hit an all-time high, and experts say that it’s causing a health crisis.
The Heroin Epidemic
Every few years, it seems like the war on drugs changes. Law enforcement officials crack down on one drug to have another spring up. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health declared a public health emergency on heroin. As a result, heroin is the new drug with which America is at war.
What brought on the war on heroin? In 2016, experts saw a vast increase in the number of people who use the drug. There are many reasons for this increase, but the main one is its cheap price tag.
Heroin itself is an opiate, which is a substance that America struggles with anyway. Most prescription pain pills are opioids, which are semi-synthetic opium derivatives. When people can no longer get their opioid fix from prescriptions, they’ll do anything to get it elsewhere. Since the pills are expensive on the street, they look for a cheaper alternative, which is usually heroin.
According to the U.S. Department of Health, nearly 15,500 people died in 2016 as a result of heroin overdose. These stats show no signs of stopping either. In fact, almost 170,000 people used heroin for the very first time in 2016.
We Can Help You Fight Back Against Drugs
People can’t sit around and wait for the government to solve these drug problems. They have to take it into their own hands and fight back. At Red Oak Recovery®, we help people just like you overcome drug addiction every day. Some of the addiction treatment programs that we use include at our residential treatment center in North Carolina are:
- Family therapy
- Dual diagnosis program
- Gender-specific treatment
- Holistic treatment
- Individual therapy
Let us help you fight the war on drugs. Learn how the right rehab center can guide you to overcome your addiction. Reach out to us today at 866-457-7590 for more information.
