Fentanyl addiction has become a major safety concern in Maryland and throughout the United States. In recent years, fentanyl has been responsible for a large number of overdose deaths and has harmed countless others directly through addiction and indirectly through the behaviors of addicted individuals.
Law enforcement professionals and those in the healthcare profession have started taking drastic steps to try to curtail fentanyl addiction and the negative social impact of this phenomenon. There is often a lot of judgment when discussing fentanyl abuse, but people fail to understand something very important about fentanyl. Once this understanding grows, the spread of information will hopefully lead to meaningful change.
Many addicts did not start abusing fentanyl on purpose
The sad truth is that the vast majority of those struggling with opioid addiction, such as fentanyl addiction, started because of a medical issue. A doctor prescribed someone fentanyl because it is strong and cheap, but then they failed to properly support the patient while tapering them off of the medication or ignored their ongoing pain symptoms. People may then start purchasing their fentanyl supply on the unregulated market if they cannot get it from a doctor.
There are others who end up struggling with fentanyl dependence in part because they acquired contaminated drugs on the unregulated market. Law enforcement professionals have indicated that fentanyl contamination has affected almost every substance available in Maryland. People may end up consuming fentanyl unintentionally and then struggling with chemical dependence afterward.
Those dealing with addiction may make poor choices in their personal lives and could end up facing drug charges. They will have a chance to fight back, but all too often, people worry about lengthening their involvement with the criminal justice system in any way and plead guilty rather than looking into their options. Such an approach leaves someone at the mercy of a judge and the sentence they choose to impose.
The decision to fight pending drug charges can potentially help someone to avoid serious criminal penalties, like incarceration, and the consequences often related to having a criminal record. Challenging the stigma associated with drug addiction is often the first step necessary to help someone who is facing drug charges to get treatment and to seek legal guidance in order to help preserve their future from the damaging implications of a conviction.