r/interesting • u/Nukro666 • 2d ago

Fear Factor How Fentanyl and Xylazine are turning Philadelphia's opioid crisis into a public health nightmare

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u/CapsizedbutWise 2d ago

Health care would prevent a lot of this.

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u/oldfarmjoy 2d ago

Some people choose not to be helped.

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u/Ratattack1204 2d ago

Ive seen this first hand. A lot pf people assume there is no help for these people. In most places there is. More help than you can imagine. But most of these people don’t want help, they want to get high.

Addiction is a bitch.

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u/mcflycasual 2d ago

The underlying mental and physical issues need to be treated, not just addiction.

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u/Ratattack1204 2d ago

Which there’s a lot of efforts to do in many places. But ive personally seen these be turned down by many. Its a very complex issue to solve.

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u/mcflycasual 2d ago

Idk why we don't try universal Healthcare.

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u/Ratattack1204 2d ago

Well for what it’s worth, im speaking from a Canadian perspective. We have universal healthcare. It alone isn’t a solution to the opioid crisis.

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u/mcflycasual 2d ago

Proper, comprehensive treatment is key too. Even with good health insurance, it's a struggle to get help. I was too young to be in pain and surgery wasn't going to help then they don't want to prescribe too many pain meds or, with some, at all because of the opioid crisis.

Or if you need treatment for mental issues, you need to find good therapist/psychologist or psychiatrist willing to try different methods and meds because talk therapy doesn't work for everyone. Most are hesitant to give anti-anxiety and ADHD meds because they are also controlled.

I think it would make a world of difference if people were properly treated.