Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton Vows to Tackle Substance Abuse Epidemic in the U.S.

hillary clintonThe problems of drug abuse and addiction are on the rise in the United States, with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimating that over twenty-three million Americans suffer from drug abuse and addiction problems and need professional treatment. Unfortunately, many of the individuals who need help addressing and overcoming these problems don’t receive the help they need, for any number of reasons. It may be that they don’t understand what drug abuse and addiction actually are, and therefore don’t believe they are suffering from it. It may be that they are embarrassed of or ashamed about their drug abuse and addiction problems, and feel that society generally looks down with scorn on those who suffer from them. It may even be that they don’t know where to look or go to get the help they need for their drug abuse and addiction problems. Whatever the reason, many individuals are suffering from these problems and despite what some may believe, these complex and destructive problems are not limited to impoverished, uneducated individuals living in the seedy parts of town. Drug abuse and addiction problems are also affecting hard-working individuals whose journey down the path of drug abuse and addiction may have been largely aided by the proliferation of prescription drugs.

Prescription drugs may be FDA approved, medical doctor recommended and even helpful in limited medical situations, but the fact remains that they are still drug substances. Drugs are chemicals designed to interfere with the normal functions of the human body, thereby suppressing undesirable sensations and stimulating desirable sensations. This means that even prescription drugs cannot solve the root problems for which they are taken, but can only suppress the symptoms of these problems while also creating new problems. These dangerous drug substances are widely believed to be safe, helpful medications, leading many individuals to step onto the dangerous path of drug abuse and addiction when these medications no longer produce the same desired effects they once did and are then taken in greater quantities and with greater frequency. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction has reported that prescription drug overdose-related deaths now outnumber the deaths related to heroin and cocaine use – combined. That statistic doesn’t even begin to broach the issue created when some individuals switch to more potent and dangerous drug substances in an effort to re-create the desired effects they once experienced through prescription drug use. The fact is that substance abuse problems are epidemic in nature in our country, and something aggressive needs to be done about it.

How Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton Hopes to Tackle the Epidemic

Recently, Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton sat down with employees of the Whitney Brothers manufacturing company in Keene, New Hampshire and discussed the “quiet epidemic” of substance abuse that is plaguing our nation. The issue of substance abuse began when one Whitney Brothers employee mentioned her concerns regarding the growing drug problem in their community. Clinton admitted that prior to her visit to Iowa and New Hampshire, she had been unaware of just how concerned individuals are about the substance abuse issues that affect every community in every state in the nation.

Clinton admits that the issue of substance abuse is not something that can simply be “brushed under the rug”, but must be aggressively addressed. To further illustrate the importance of this issue, Clinton spoke on the recent HIV epidemic that broke out in Austin, Indiana. This epidemic was brought on by extensive drug abuse issues as well as the sharing of dirty needles and it is further evidence of how entire communities can be crippled by the unresolved problems of drug abuse and addiction. Clinton feels strongly that more resources must be dedicated to the prevention and treatment of these problems, and has promised to make the issue of resolving the substance abuse epidemic a big part of her presidential campaign, seeking out solutions to effectively tackle this issue and reverse the trends of substance abuse and addiction that are currently destroying health and lives across the nation.