Opioid Crisis Threatens Safety Of Infants

The twin crises of reduced policing and poor border policy are contributing to a disturbing trend of new exposure to drugs.

This includes more Americans using opioids, including heroin and fentanyl. With increased usage, the potential for exposure among children increases. This includes accidental access to such dangerous drugs.

The result is that even babies are now exposed to potentially deadly narcotics.

The news is sobering. Some babies are directly exposed in the womb via the mother’s bloodstream. In 2022 a California infant and Nebraska 4-year-old each perished due to a fentanyl overdose.

The national drug crisis is directly affecting our nation’s youth in a profound manner.

The recent revelations show the tremendous human cost of the opioid epidemic. The disease of addiction includes not only the adults that use, but their children as well.

The news also corresponds with use of opioids among minors. With the inclusion of drugs such as fentanyl in circulation, the risk of overdose significantly increases.

In fact, drug overdoses among minors surged during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, between 2020 and 2021, the rate of such adolescent drug overdose deaths almost doubled.

No family is fully immune to the opioid crisis. Even the large majority of people who don’t, and never will, use often have a close friend or relative affected by drugs.

The ability of law enforcement to prevent drug crimes is often tied directly to state policies. States that have de-emphasized law enforcement have seen an increase in drugs of all types, including drug crime.

The issue also stems directly from the chaos at our southern border. The lack of enforcement by the Biden Administration has led to a large increase of migrants and drugs crossing into the country.

There are no silver bullets to solve all drug crimes and overdoses. However, returning to the law and order policies our nation had just several years ago would help tremendously.

A society that allows its very youngest to struggle with drugs is one that needs serious attention.