Yahoo News recently ran a headline about Drew Gintis, a high school wrestler given opioid pain meds that eventually led to heroin and a fentanyl overdose.

My own son, Jordan Hankins, was in a severe car wreck in Cortez in 2010. He was prescribed oxycodone, percocet and opium since the wreck, and ampetamine-dextroamphetamine (adderall).

In May of last year, his prescriptions were abruptly cut off because he was addicted to opium. In June, after trying outpatient addiction therapy he turned to heroin to replace the percocet and he used meth to replace adderall.

He got into big trouble and soon I had no idea who the person inside my son’s body was. He wasn’t acting anything like I had ever experienced. Our heavily burdened police and jail system were called in to help with Jordan’s erratic behavior.

Now I tell everyone my son is the lucky one. He is going to prison with a chance to start life again. The family of Drew Gintis buried him.

In 2015, over 52,000 died from drug overdoses. Compare that to the 53,402 combat deaths the U.S. suffered in WWI. Who is to blame for the amounts of opium flooding our streets and how did a poppy plant become so deadly?

One side note – my son did not use marijuana, but now I wish he had. At least there’s no chance of an overdose from that plant.

Glenda Hankins

Dove Creek