To the editor:

The editorial “Do your part to fight epidemic,” which appeared in the Oct. 27 edition, makes an important point to the communities around us: Disposing of medical drugs, especially opioids, can significantly help cut down on their abuse.

For some, family medicine cabinets are their only source to get these drugs. Although most abusers will continue to abuse, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day may decrease the number of new abusers.

But the Take Back Day will not solve the real issue, the urge so many people have to get high. Many people like to get high to mask other problems, along with the feeling doing so gives them.

On the other hand, people use drugs because of their surroundings. People living in more urban areas, where drugs are readily available and most of their peers are using, are more likely to use drugs themselves.

This problem needs to be addressed by communities as a whole, starting with families. Families should not hide issues to be dealt with from their children. Instead, they should let the kids know what’s going on and show them proper ways to handle it.

Communities can open discussions and provide counseling, where people can open up about the issues leading them to try drugs. Counselors can be that extra support needed to link drug abusers — or those close to abusing them — to programs to help them overcome.

Although many can’t help where they were born and raised, or their peers around them, we have to be creative with ways to stop the negative influence.

Not only did the editorial offer a way to help resolve the issue, but it was also an eye opener to others who don’t know what is going on.

We still have a long way to go to solve this issue. But we have to start somewhere, and the Drug Take Back Day is a good place to start.

Ashley Knight

Suffolk