The death last week of a Wakefield High School student, who appears to have overdosed on opioids in the bathroom of the high school, was yet another reminder of a scourge that continues ravaging the nation, often just under the radar enough that neither communities nor their leaders have the fortitude to address it forthrightly.
The death is hardly the first of its kind in Northern Virginia or elsewhere. Young and old, urban and rural, opioids have infiltrated and devastated many lives.
Given the potency of some of the drugs out there, and the fact that they often come masquerading as something else, it often is a case of no second chances. One misstep and you’re in a body bag. It is profoundly sad on both the micro and macro levels.
The ultimate responsibility of self-preservation and simple common sense rests with the individuals involved. Word certainly has circulated about the dangers of this new era of drug use and abuse. It seems reckless in the extreme to get involved in that world.
But involved some will, and those transgressions should be met with a charitable, understanding response – not to mention the tools that might help to save a life in a dire situation.
The harder part of the discussion is trying to ameliorate the underlying issues that are leading people to be so reckless. Certainly several years of effective house arrest during COVID did nothing for the social and emotional well-being of any of us, particularly youth.
Hopefully we learned lessons from that mistake and, should the necessity ever arise again, will address the issue a little differently.
There are no easy answers, but one wonders how many bodies have to pile up at morgues before we as a nation decide to put this issue on the front burner, rather than sweep it under the rug as seemingly has been the case for so long.
