My daughter, Kayla, lost her 12 year battle with opiates when she turned 30 years old. I believe Kayla, like many others, was a victim of society. Although she was an adult, Kayla was in no frame of mind to decide what was best for her. In the past, doctors, teachers, and the government shut me out of her life since her 16th birthday. Allowing her to AMA (against medical advice) out of treatment facilities and not including her family in treatment information is where the system goes wrong. This is where I believe my daughter’s life was a victim of society. I don’t want my daughter’s death to be for nothing.

As we know, there is an Opioid Overdose Epidemic in the US that increases each year.  More and more treatment facilities open up and insurances are offering extensive drug rehabilitation coverage, including Medicaid. However, when a person can AMA their way out of treatment and return back to the streets, that rehabilitation opportunity ceases. The disease of addiction compromises the decision making of the brain highjacking that person to have one thing on their mind at all times, their next high. With opiates being the most addictive, how can an addict make a sound decision?  To many of our nations children, parents, and friends are dying of fentanyl overdoses each day. The death numbers are increasing despite the funding for treatment. Overdose death rates have tripled over the past decade with the larger increase being the last 2 years(According to SHADAC).  What we, as a nation, are doing is not working. By not allowing the opiate addict to discharge themselves from treatment would force them to complete treatment, giving them an opportunity in recovery. 

How many more people have to die in order to make a change. We need to act now before more of our loved ones are lost. Before more Drugs of Abuse becomes legal. Before more synthetic drugs are made in the streets. We, the people, have to demand this change.