Comparision between the Crack Epidemic and the Opioid Epidemic

 This paper compares and contrasts the “crack epidemic vs. the “opioid epidemic and how our country is still impacted by the war on drugs. The similarities between the two epidemics are that families are impacted by these substances. People who are addicted to drugs will put the substance ahead of anything that is meaningful to them. The only thing that matters to them is how to get that next one. People who are addicted to drugs need help. Also, the fatalities of the substances are alarming, in particular people who are addicted to opioids. 90 Americans die every day because of opioids. The differences of the two substances could be controversial as many view it is a black vs. white issue. It seems that people who are addicted to opioids are given plenty of avenues to get their life back on track compared to people in the grips of the “crack” epidemic. People were given harsh sentences, violence ensued throughout communities, and instead of treatment they were more likely to end up incarcerated. It seems we learned our from our mistakes and people who are addicted have a much greater opportunity to get help in order to combat their addiction.