272,000 Faces: Preface

Since 1999, there have been over 272,000 opioid related overdose deaths, according to reports from the CDC , reporting for years 1999-2016 and the Washington Post , reporting for 2017. We saw a spike in those overdose deaths between 2015 and 2016 due to the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, according to an article by WebMD . More and more people are dying of overdoses because their drug of choice was either laced with Fentanyl or was all Fentanyl and being passed off as their drug of choice. We are seeing that it is mainly cut with heroin and pressed into pills to look like Xanax, OxyContin and others. However, there have been cases where cocaine was cut with fentanyl. In essence, the drugs that people are getting off the streets are not what they seem. You can only try fentanyl one time. In the wake of the opioid epidemic, we have loved ones left behind trying to piece their lives back together after being shattered by an overdose. I am focusing on individuals who are striving to turn their grief into something constructive in hopes of reaching those of you who are grieving and lost in your pain. Each day I wake up and wonder if I’m going to make the most of the day I’ve been given, or am I going to let the pain of grief keep me in seclusion. We will never ever stop grieving until our last breath so while we are still breathing we need to make the most of it! More to come...stay tuned! It’s OK to get help! #doitforshelby