By: Ebony Satterfield

A drug is any substance (other than food) that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed, or dissolved into the body that causes a physiological change.  

An addict is someone who devotes or surrenders themselves to something habitually or obsessively.

Addiction is the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance.

Let's look at these words. Now break them down, digest them, and now apply them.  Is this you or someone you know?? We often get confused with what our perception tells us to be true and what reality actually is. That is what we like to call a gray area. In our community, we have too many "grey" areas, and drug addiction is the largest one.

              Today's youth has to be the biggest growing drug ridden group since the 80's and it truly saddening how lost our future is. Given the circumstances of what we have evolved from, this seems to be one Pandora that will not escape our people. From Percocet to Xanax, to molly and ecstasy pills, just to name a few of today's favorites, is nothing short of being the modern-day heroine. To walk through the streets to see an addicted child calling and addicted adult an addict and be baffled how they do not see the similarities in their choices is a bothersome but dreadfully true reality. The rate of drug abuse in our community for youth and young adults is off the charts with the age range between 15-30 being the highest age group for overdosing, and the highest age group that are currently addicts. Believing that this is something we can change, I can see why the habit is starting at a younger age. What society promotes to our children, is eventually what OUR world becomes. With drug acceptance being so heavily populated by music artists. Our children and youth idolize this new fad. Which makes the war on revamping us as a people hard to do.

Every day, you walk the street or turn on the radio, or any streaming service for that matter, every popular rap artist song today exudes one of the following, sex, money, but most of all prescription drugs.  According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, African American teens represent 14.2% of the population that's currently abusing, or addicted to drugs. We have the most broken homes, and in the last 5-10 years, the birth rate of infants addicted to drugs has tripled. For every 1,000 babies born, 5.6 of them are born in withdrawal and addiction.

Personally, as a direct connection with this epidemic, I truly cannot offer answers to combat the current crisis with our people. We must find a way to be greater than shallow influences, and the knowledge of what is popular for our community is not what is always best for our community.  Science says people are born with addictive tendencies and behavioral traits. With what's happening not only in the world but most importantly our world, we have to be the deciding factors of change. We as a people must advocate change for our people. Between losing our sons and daughters to this disease called addiction, at some point we must reclaim, regroup and rebuild our brokenness. We are responsible for each other. Black Lives must matter at all times even when it's self-destructive.  Enough is enough!! Extend your hand to help, to love, to be accountable for what our community's future becomes.