America’s drug overdose crisis is out of control. Washington, despite a bipartisan desire to combat it, is finding its addiction-fighting programs are failing.
In 2018, Republicans, Democrats and then-President Donald Trump united around legislation that threw $20 billion into treatment, prevention and recovery. But five years later, the SUPPORT Act has lapsed and the number of Americans dying from overdoses has grown more than 60 percent, driven by illicit fentanyl. The battle has turned into a slog.
Even though 105,000 Americans died last year, Congress is showing little urgency about reupping the law since it expired on Sept. 30. That’s not because of partisan division, but a realization that there are no quick fixes a new law could bring to bear.
If you’re an American who isn’t part of the wealth class, not a lot of great reasons not to numb your pain if you can.
“Oh but you have so much to live for!”
Yeah, spending most of your waking hours making rich assholes richer in exchange for just enough to subsist off of to stave off death by homelessness. What great fucking lives that must be protected, amirite?