Dear Editor,

I agree that overdoses are becoming a normal thing. When I hear about overdoses in the news, I don’t even react anymore. More recently, people I know have been overdosing. I agree that teens get hooked after being peer pressured to try a drug at a party, and I also believe it is linked to athletes who are trying to relieve aches and pains. We must do a better job educating teens about the harmful affects.

~ Junior Ainsley Isenhour

Dear Editor,

I agree that informing the public, especially teens, [helps them] gain a better understanding of the “opioid crisis” is a great way to reduce the amount of unnecessary deaths. Although this is a great start, I feel that more than just informing the public should be done. I feel as though the drug itself should no longer be manufactured. Many may argue that it is very beneficial to those going through surgery, but today morphine and other drugs known to be less addictive have been replacing fentanyl and are just as effective to treat chronic pain.

~ Junior Maddie Brunick

Dear Editor,

Teens and adults who wish to use drugs will, there’s no way around it. “The war on drugs” is a war that cannot be won by banning drugs. Banning drugs will cause counterfeit or the actual [drugs] to circulate unchecked. The only way to truly get rid of the problem is to legalize opiates in order to decrease the allure and a lot of the danger with these drugs. If it is government regulated and not shipped in from cartels then the drugs will be a lot safer for recreational use. Like cigarettes, if we educate people on the health issues that come with these drugs the amount using will decrease. Yes, people will still use the drugs despite knowing the risks, but that is their choice and not ours to make.

~ Junior Finley Legg

Dear Editor,

I wholeheartedly agree that more awareness about the Opioid Crisis and how to prevent it is needed in order to protect both teens and adults. Unfortunately, drugs are easily accessible to high schoolers through their peers at nearly every school in America. As a result, the rise in opioid use has taken its toll on scores of students, with many more in immediate risk of being the next victim. Cracking down on drug use can only do so much; we as a society need to highlight the very real dangers of drugs and stop glorifying them as a cool thing to do. If we don’t, the crisis will just continue to grow.

~ Junior Edward Finman