John 10:10 New American Standard Bible 1995“10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
“Nearly 92,000 persons in” the U.S. died from drug-involved overdose in 2020, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids.” https://nida.nih.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates That is 2.77 percent of the population of the United States based on 2020 census data, from YAHOO. https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=litmus&hsimp=yhs-3d&type=1453461-vsub-tm4&p=2020%20census
“Approximately 22,000 young people between ages 10-24 died of unintentional drug overdose in the United States between January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019, according to the study, which obtained death records from the CDC’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research mortality file.” https://www.foxnews.com/health/drug-overdoses-young-americans-one-million-years-lost-life-study-finds
“In 2019, heroin-involved overdose death rates decreased over 6% from 2018 to 2019. However, more than 14,000 people died from a drug overdose involving heroin in the United States, a rate of more than four deaths for every 100,000 Americans. The number of heroin-involved overdose deaths was more than seven times higher in 2019 than in 1999. Nearly a third of all opioid deaths involved heroin.” https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/heroin/index.html
“Fentanyl overdoses have surged to the leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 45, according to an analysis of U.S. government data.
Between 2020 and 2021, nearly 79,000 people between 18 and 45 years old — 37,208 in 2020 and 41,587 in 2021 — died of fentanyl overdoses, the data analysis from opioid awareness organization Families Against Fentanyl shows”. https://www.foxnews.com/us/fentanyl-overdoses-leading-cause-death-adults
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied in a patch on the skin. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency, or be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely-produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico.” https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl
https://canadiancentreforaddictions.org/why-do-people-use-drugs-7-reasons/ According to the Canadian Centre for Addictions there are seven major reasons for drug addiction:
1. Addiction As a Result of a Medical Issue
2. Self-Medication
3. Family History or Family Stress
4. Influence
5. Peer Pressure
6. Emotional Instability
7. Stress
For many people it creates euphoria, they like the “high” or the “buzz”. It is an escape mechanism from their problems.
Drug abuse can permanently affect people’s health. It can affect personal relationships. It can eventually destroy the person. They are no longer able to function normally physically or mentally.
How can I overcome drug abuse? First get into a recognized treatment program. Confront your issues rather than run from them. Allow healing to occur, not just physical but mental. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It is a step in the right direction.
Foremost look to God for His desire for you is wholeness. He wants you to have a peaceful life filled with love. He wants your old wounds to be healed so that you can walk in newness of life. If you have guilt, you can be set free by confessing your sins and having them covered by the blood of Jesus. He want’s your past to remain in the past. Every day is a new day, and it will be what you allow Him with your help to make it. He wants to bless you with His love and compassion. Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB 1995) “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Picture by Gras Grun/Unsplash