This class of drugs, which includes prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl, is constantly making news because it has become a prevalent part of modern American life. The opioid epidemic doesn’t discriminate by gender, race, or socioeconomic status, and statistics suggest that you or someone you love are already directly affected by it.
This issue has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences including increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome due to opioid use and misuse during pregnancy. The increase in injection drug use has also contributed to the spread of infectious diseases including HIV and hepatitis C. As seen throughout the history of medicine, science, and faith can be an important part of the solution in resolving such a crisis.