How can Colorado change the opioid crisis?

Colorado is known for being one of the highest in the United States for opioid addiction. There seems to be a plethora of information on the issue, but know real answer. Opioid addiction is the killer of drugs in Colorado, but also through the United States. This awful addiction destroys lives for everyone who is addicted or has loved ones that are. Once addicted, it becomes a disease, that is hard to battle and overcome.

 I want to give a brief explanation on what opiates are and what they do to some one. Opioid painkillers is a prescription drug. The painkillers are used to reduce pain in a more mild way, and is a slower acting formula once taken. Heroin is an illegal opioid drug. Heroin is administered through injection, and is a fast acting feeling once injected. The two are similar because of the side affects it has on a persons brain. It gives a similar euphoria feeling and drowsiness.

This drug derived from an opium poppy plant. They extract the substance from the plant and medical professionals create the substance into codeine, morphine, methadone, and other people use/sell the illicit street drug, heroin. This is highly addictive once taken for a certain length of time, and most people that are addict to painkillers, usually turn to heroin because its cheaper.

After all my research I feel like asking, how can Colorado change the opioid crisis? My source that I am introducing is about Colorado legislators trying to support the prevention of drugs. It goes on explaining how they are working towards the crisis in hope to combat it. 

The source is called Colorado To Receive Federal Aid In Fight Against Opioid Crisis. The article was published November 9th, 2017 by Angie Haflich. She explains, "a bipartisan panel of legislators in Colorado supported a package of six bills aimed at preventing and treating the state’s opioid crisis." (Haflich) She explains further "Now, the state is spending $1 million to create a drug-abuse research center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora that will focus on expanding prevention, treatment and recovery initiatives." (Haflich)

 If I pull together all the research from my previous blogs, my concern is why are we spending money on a research center if we just closed a treatment facility this year due to funding? My two other sources showed where Colorado has a high percentage of deaths from opiates, and it showed the most services in those same areas. In my opinion, there seems to be confusion on what direction should be taken. Learning about the issue has helped me understand some of the steps that has to be taken in order to help the epidemic. Although, I would still like to argue that Colorado is weak in areas of services and treatments.

Haflich, Angie. "Colorado to Receive Federal Aid in Fight Against Opioid Crisis", High Plains Public Radio. 9. November. 2017. URL.

http://hppr.org/post/colorado-receive-federal-aid-fight-against-opioid-crisis