The opioid crisis has been one of the most critical public-health challenges where it seems to get worse with every passing day especially in Philadelphia County, where it has been recorded to have the highest number of overdose cases out of the 10 densely populated counties in United States. The neighborhoods of Philadelphia do not usually have officially designated boundaries hence the high population. It is estimated that around 75, 000 residents are addicted to opioids, especially heroin, and every day people travel to Kensington to purchase the opioids (Whelan, 2018). When interviewed, members of the affected population state that it is not only people from other states that visit Kensington to purchase the opioids but also people from all over the country visit. Each year, there are drug tourists from other parts America that visit Kensington for heroin (Whelan, 2018). Therefore, the residents believe that the opioid crisis is not caused by the original dwellers of Philadelphia but is brought by the people who visit the neighborhood. In proof of this, homeless addicts in Kensington have been interviewed and the results proof that a huge percentage actually come from other parts of United States (DALY, n.d.). These addicts visited Kensington due to its high reputation on the sale of heroin and other opioids.
In further support of this, the opioid crisis can be traced back to the early 2000s where Dominican gangs began to bring in heroin to Kensington from Colombia (Percy, 2018). This heroin was believed to be purer as compared to heroin imported from Asia. It was also sold at a relatively cheaper price. Small groups of dealers ran sale of drugs, and as much as the police tried to arrest them, there could always emerge new groups. Hence, the police shifted their attention to the high profile drug traffickers as a way of solving the problem but this did not show significant change (Percy, 2018). This has been the trend since then, and up to date, the people who are the original residents of Kensington are usually in their homes while dealers who have moved in the neighborhood always dwell around the homes selling heroin. Most of the residents who dwell in Kensington and do not use drugs say that they moved into the neighborhood due the cheap housing that was offered (Percy, 2018). They have tried to stop drug trafficking through cleaning up the neighborhood, disposing needles, and at times calling in the police on the drug dealers. However, the drug dealers have made life difficult through intimidating police informants and fighting off police officers.
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However, the residents also blame the law enforcers for the opioid crisis, particularly with the implementation of the Laissez Faire (DALY, n.d.). This economic system, which when translated means leave alone, advocates for a free market. This economic system states that law enforcers should not demand for money from people. Further, under the Laissez Faire, a person is expected to become innovative in order to become rich by producing better and affordable products. It has exceptions since it does not advocate for wrong people to engage in illegal businesses. However, the drug dealers have misinterpreted this economic system, thus the continued sale of drugs. Further, the law enforcers have not been strict with the methods of controlling the opioid crisis (Whelan, 2018). The opioid epidemic began with pharmaceutical drugs where the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 gave the agency authority over prescription of opioids. However, they were unable to control the use of opioid medications and prescriptions (Whelan, 2018). This led to the increased over-dependence on the Opioids. Further, the lack of reinforcements in border patrols has contributed to the increased importation of heroin and other opioid substances.
References
DALY, S. (n.d.). RECOVERING HEROIN ADDICT & KENSINGTON RESIDENT.
Whelan, A. (2018, December 24). Philadelphia’s opioid crisis may be at a turning point. What’s ahead in 2019? The Inquirer.
Percy, J. (2018, October 10). Trapped by the ‘Walmart of Heroin’. The New York Times Magazine.
