By Shahrizoda Akhmatova
The demand for catching a quick high has been the goal for a concerning number of individuals in the city, creating a bigger platform for drug trafficking. “For both the nation and New York, the majority of overdose deaths during this time period were from the use of opioids. Opioids include different classes of drugs, such as painkillers prescribed by doctors, as well as heroin and other illicit drugs,” the office of the New York State Comptroller reports. It is safe to say that most of the addictions in the city are sparked by prescription drugs, such as one survivor of a car accident, Kimberly, 26, who was prescribed Oxy after the accident. Cases like these, which have appeared nationwide, raise the question, what is the extent of pain an individual should experience in order to be prescribed such an addictive drug as pain medication?
Fentanyl has been dominating the streets of NYC and fentanyl deaths are at an all-time high, as of the latest available figures from 2023. “Fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, was the most common substance involved in overdose deaths,” reports NYC Health. Drug traffickers have been using this drug to increase the effects of opioids, which in turn, increases the chances of an overdose. A deeply concerning part of it all is that this epidemic has been affecting mainly minorities and other marginalized communities. The root of the addiction crisis influences more low income families and individuals that are most likely trying to escape reality and battle mental health. Many of these deaths go unnoticed due to the lack of coverage in the media. The drug epidemic and crime go hand in hand in these communities, thus blurring the lines of how they are reported on and perceived. Studies evaluating racial disparities in opioid use, abuse, and care in the US have indicated that “racial disparities in the prescription of opioid-containing compounds are dramatic with the non-white individuals being prescribed at half the rate.”
Due to the accessibility of these prescribed drugs, people take advantage of the vulnerability of others and market to marginalized lower income communities, which most suffer from mental health issues and are susceptible to these kinds of drugs. “Drugs target vulnerability” says Michelle, 19, a QCC student who is the daughter of an addict father of twenty years.
Since 2017, New York City has been a victim of drug abuse and target for addiction. This epidemic was first highlighted by the Queensborough Communiqué back in 2017 and has made its way into 2024. Many families like Michelle’s have suffered from drug abuse and addiction. Individuals battling addictions are blinded by chasing a high. “Even after 20 yeaccars he is prescribed a diluted version of Oxy in order to keep his body functioning after being dependent on it for so long,” Michelle explains. “He would steal money and jewelry from the house to sell and buy heroin.”
“In 2021, 30 New Yorkers per 100,000 died from drug overdoses; 25 per 100,000 New Yorkers died from opioid overdoses in that year, compared to 5 in 2010. New York’s opioid overdose death rates exceeded national rates in both 2020 and 2021,” according to the latest update reported by the New York State Comptroller. Prescribed opioids are a gateway drug to stronger drugs like heroin and have the potential to permanently damage an individual as well as their families.
