Letter: Time to take opioids seriously

We are facing an epidemic of opioid use, with overdose deaths higher than American deaths in Vietnam. Eleven million people are abusing narcotics, yet we lack access to medical marijuana— one of the strongest substitutes for opiates.

In 1998, I quit using heroin, using methadone to assist me off of its use. I have 20 years off of heroin this year and have been reading about our current epidemic. I wonder why our commissioners are against both methadone and reasonable access to medical marijuana — two of the most effective substitutes for opiate use? Former drug czar Barry McCaffrey once said that methadone is the tool that will sink all ships. Yet access is not available.

Canada, after receiving health care, allowed patients to take methadone at the pharmacy of their choice and counseling at local facilities. The clinics are strict and outdated, testing for drugs other than those that are lethal. It’s important that users have regular access to doctors. Patients are routinely facing legal trouble and cannot easily access marijuana or methadone.

Increasing access to these life-saving drugs may lessen opiate deaths. It is everyone’s problem.