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Running Start/HEA150 - Health/Week 8/Discussion Replies Week 8.md

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+### Replying to Robert
+Hi Ruopu,
+I agree that giving people a space to safely use their drugs and get clean tools seems like a better way to help solve the drug crisis rather than further stigmatizing drug use. Especially with many drugs being increasingly used in medical scenarios, it is strange to me that they are still as stigmatized as they are. During prohibition, people didn't stop drinking alcohol and it likely made the problem worse. Especially with drugs where illegal drugs are more likely to have incorrect amounts and lead to overdoses, it seems like allowing safe options for people could be a better approach than attempting to prevent drug use through laws. 
+
+### Replying to Julien
+Hi Julien,
+I agree that it is likely more challenging to regulate drug use when they are illegal since most of the ways that they are obtained are from black-market sources. Several articles discussed the idea that by obtaining drugs illegally, the odds that they contain incorrect amounts or the wrong drug is much higher and often leads to overdoses. I also watched the video from CNN, and it seems like even though they are technically illegal the OPCs in New York are very beneficial for the communities that they are a part of.
+
+### Replying to Rose
+Hi Rose,
+Similar to the establishments described in last week's discussion, giving people an opportunity to focus on aspects of their lives other than their addiction seems like a great way to help them recover and get back on their feet. If all they can think about is where they will find the drugs or alcohol they need to prevent withdrawal, it can be hard to do anything else. I like your idea about including more stories about recovery from drug usage in media. Especially with how much social media is a part of everyone's live now, themes and ideas in popular media can be a very large factors in the decisions we make. 
+
+### Replying to Goose
+Hi Goose,
+It was interesting to me as well that other countries have much different stances on OPCs than the United States does. With how large the war on drugs was and still is in the US though, it makes sense that programs like this have not gained traction yet. I'm glad that the article that you read focused more on the stories of several patients. The ones that I read took more of a high-level approach to the story which can be helpful, although the many perspectives on this issue is important to fully understand the impact.