The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 8,257 heroin–related deaths in 2013, compared with 5,925 deaths in 2012. This increase is being called an epidemic.

The CDC also reports approximately 443,000 people die from smoking cigarettes or exposure to second-hand smoke each year. This is business as usual.

It is time to accept that criminalizing arbitrarily chosen drugs is irrational, ineffective, and too expensive.

Addicts and their families suffer enough. Classifying certain chemically dependent people as criminals is unnecessary and makes rehabilitation much more difficult. It is time to spend our taxes more wisely. It is time to stop fighting and start funding more treatment programs.

People are inherently curious and many will experiment with the drugs that their family and friends use. Often, ignorance and poor judgment can lead people to make regrettable choices. We learn harmful habits from others. Many people do not believe that they will ever become addicted, but a percentage will, and too many will die prematurely. We cannot predict who will become addicted to heroin, nicotine, alcohol and all the other drugs that are available to us. But we can predict increased prison populations and increased profits for organized crime unless we decriminalize all drugs now.

We need to accept this “war” cannot be won. We need to change our laws, and give our health services full responsibility and authority to help prevent and treat our addicted family members, friends and neighbors.

Anthony N. Biancoviso, Ph.D.

Counseling psychologist

Barryville, NY