An Alarming Epidemic

When the popular consumption of a product category causes more deaths than all accidents on the roads of the United States and all deaths by firearms it is time to take action.

We speak of course of drug use, both illegal as heroin and opium-derived painkillers and provided prescription.

It is a phenomenon of increasing severity that the proper administration of President Barack Obama recognized as a national "crisis" that is devastating entire communities of the country, especially the suburbs of American cities and that this affected if disproportionately to families white.

In 2014 more than 47,000 Americans died because of drug overdoses, 60 percent of which were caused by painkillers prescribed by doctors or primarily heroin from Mexico, high power and low price.

The crisis was discussed this week at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee at a time when the country is on the campaign, which experts say opens an opportunity to approve a bill aimed at combating the problem does not distinguish partisan affiliations.

Experts agree that the epidemic consumption of painkillers, methamphetamines and heroin is increasingly destroying families and communities, so urge immediate solutions to cater to the millions of addicts and prevent abuse among new generations.

For more information visit www.cdc.gov and www.laredhispana.org