Heroin. It used to be that you were hidden. A person had to know where to find you. Now, you are everywhere. You are all over the news. You have invaded our homes, our parks, our beaches, our businesses, our schools, and our churches. You are spreading throughout our neighborhoods, towns, and state. You are calling yourself a friend, but we all know that’s not true. You tell our loved ones that you can save them; that you can make their pain go away. That you can make them feel free again. You can be just a one-time thing. You can solve their problems. You are just a fun way to party. You are the key to their happiness. You can save them.
Heroin: you lie.
Our loved ones are scared and sick. They are turning into people we no longer recognize. We can see it happening and we try to prevent it. We try to help friends and family realize who you really are; you are a con artist. We try to help them realize their strength without you. Our loved ones can’t hear us. Your voice and presence are too loud. You have brainwashed them into thinking they need you. We are the ones that love them; not you! We can help them; not you!
Heroin: You are taking our loved ones. You are breaking up our families. You are killing our generation.
You are making parents afraid for their little ones to grow up, because what kind of world will be left? You are making parents afraid for their children to go to school, because what if they meet you there and never come back? You are making us afraid to take our children to parks, because what if one of your victims is there–or left behind their needle? You are sending fear through everyone’s hearts.
- Because of you, a mother will never stop crying.
- Because of you, a son will grow up without his mom and dad.
- Because of you, a wife will never smile the same way again.
- Because of you, a father will lose his only son or daughter.
- Because of you, a friend will never see his best friend again.
- Because of you, a sister will become an only child.
Heroin: We see what you are doing.
We notice how you are preying on those who struggle. We feel every loss our state takes because of you, heroin. We will not let you steal this generation from us! We will not let you take our community from us! You will not break our families! We are strong and will fight you! We are no longer pleading with you to leave, we are ordering you to go! That’s enough, heroin. It’s time to move on.
