User:Hofmann33/sandbox

Edit for Opioid Epidemic Page.

Demographic: In regards to the recent opioid epidemic and other drug related epidemics going on throughout the World today. Opioids- prescription and illicit pills are the main reasons for drug overdose deaths. Opioids were involved in 42,249 deaths in 2016, and opioid overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016 than in 1999. We may think that the misuse of all prescription pills could lead to bad pathways but it does not. The misuse of prescription opioids among 12th graders has dropped drastically in the past 15 years, from 9.6 percent in 2002 to 2.0 percent in 2017 despite the high opioid overdose rates among adults. Seeing some of these statistics shown above it really makes you step back and see what the United States is going through. This opioid epidemic is one for the history books, it could ruin friendships, families, relationships, and a persons one self.

What is next?: The average American citizen would say that we need to find these people help and get them in the right state of mind to hopefully one day be sober. That American citizen would say treatment is the way to go it is the cure of all the answers, but who pays for this? The tax payers could pay for the treatment, but why would they want to pay for someone else's treatment? The families of the addict could pay for it, but sometimes they do not want to be involved in there children's mishaps. This is where some people would say that there should be free clinics to walk in patients that are suffering from opioid and drug abuse to one day end the opioid and drug epidemic. The United States and we the people realize that this is an epidemic and we need to figure something out.

Suggested edits:

Demographic: Currently, opioids--both prescribed and illicitly-obtained pills are the main causes of drug overdose deaths (CITE SOURCE). Opioids were involved in 42,249 deaths in 2016, and opioid overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016 than in 1999. (Cut for not compling with Wiki rules). The misuse of prescription opioids among 12th graders has dropped drastically in the past 15 years, from 9.6 percent in 2002 to 2.0 percent in 2017 despite the high opioid overdose rates among adults. (Cut opinion/reflection part. Be expository here.)

(this section is editorializing, Cole. Let's discuss what else you could add instead because this won't work on Wikipedia. For example, you could cite publications with reactions to the epidemic, but you can't state your own thoughts or write in the first person.) What is next?: The average American citizen would say that we need to find these people help and get them in the right state of mind to hopefully one day be sober. That American citizen would say treatment is the way to go it is the cure of all the answers, but who pays for this? The tax payers could pay for the treatment, but why would they want to pay for someone else's treatment? The families of the addict could pay for it, but sometimes they do not want to be involved in there children's mishaps. This is where some people would say that there should be free clinics to walk in patients that are suffering from opioid and drug abuse to one day end the opioid and drug epidemic. The United States and we the people realize that this is an epidemic and we need to figure something out.