Mental health and drug abuse have rapidly become more relevant in modern America. Parts of the country are still mired in an epidemic of opioid abuse, and our country has still not done enough work to even begin fixing the problem. America needs to make it easier for people who need treatment to find help instead of a cell.

I believe that the person is not to blame for having these issues, whether they are born with them or they develop problems throughout their life. We should help every person suffering from even the slightest of mental illness, meaning that it should be funded and issued to people who are suffering. People should feel comfortable coming forward and asking for help, and those who can’t afford treatment should not have to worry about paying for it.

To help people, we have to start making them feel comfortable with the system and make it affordable for them as well, and the more people that come forward with their problems, the better off everyone will be.

People that develop addictions, when they’re caught using, are just thrown into a prison cell and never get the help that they truly need. When they are released, they typically start using again. Many people want to stop hurting themselves, but they simply can’t break the cycle.

In America, we need more rehabilitation centers, not prisons. We should be helping people that have an addiction problem, because, in the end, it is a mental issue that they develop, and they deserve a chance to start over and get back on their feet. Having more rehabilitation centers gives people hope, and a chance to start over and stop these habits. Putting people in cells will not solve the problem, but having more places to help will be a step in the right direction in helping users.

Every person with any of these mental problems should feel comfortable coming forward and being able to afford any treatment for themselves. We must fix the system of drug use in America, and the best way to do this is to build more institutions to help them, not throwing them into a jail cell and ruining their life by putting that on the record. Everyone who needs help with these issues should have the support they require.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story also appears in the Fall 2019 print edition of  The Arrow.