A perfect storm created

It amazes me that our public officials are unable to understand the reasons for our opioid crisis.
First, they created an atmosphere of fear for honest doctors wanting to write pain-medication prescriptions for patients who really need them, steering patients in the wrong direction.
Then, they created laws that gave ridiculously long sentences to crack dealers, forcing the cartels and dealers to switch to heroin. A dose of heroin that, 10 years ago, cost $20 to $30 is $6 today.
Third, they practically eliminated the fear of dying from doing a deadly drug like heroin by administering Narcan to addicts like lollipops to children.
And last but not least, every time they try to open a clinic to help addicts, all the local residents get together and say “Not in my backyard,” and they fall to the pressure because they don’t want to lose a vote.
They created a perfect storm and they don’t even realize it.
Terry Minor
New Eagle