Drugs- Briann Skiba

As a healthcare worker I am at the epicenter of the Opioid epidemic. I have seen countless mothers struggle with addiction and deliver babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS (a condition were babies are born going through withdrawal because the mother ingested opiates during pregnancy). I held patients that are going through violent seizures from ETOH withdrawal (alcohol withdrawal). I had 3 classmates pass away from heroin overdoses in 6 months during high school. Drug addiction is real, it is terrifying, and it makes you wonder why people get so addicted. Psychoactive drugs are the most prevalent, and these include opiates, cannabis, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine. Ironically, even though these are the most common addictive substances Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and cannabis in some states are legal. The role of psychoactive drugs are to alter a persons state of mind. Caffeine illicit alertness, energy, and clear headiness. Alcohol can lead to a state of mild euphoria and in large dosages can make someone black out. What's most fascinating to me is the difference between legal and illegal drugs. All drugs/substances can lead to addiction and cause sever withdrawal symptoms. Yet, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and prescribed opiates are the standards in our society. But Amphetamines and other stimulants are not. Obviously this is a heavily debated and controversial topic. But as someone who sees the realities of addiction first hand, I am not inclined to support any psychoactive drugs.