Mother’s Day is a day that evokes joy for many, but it carries a painful significance for me. I lost my son Eric to an overdose on Nov. 23, 2022, just three weeks shy of his 32nd birthday.

His loss is part of a tragic statistic: More than 825,000 lives were lost from 2013-23, all preventable deaths.

For far too long, society has responded to substance use disorders with stigma and punishment rather than compassion and understanding. Harsh drug laws are ineffective, costly and steeped in systemic racism. Criminalization fills our prisons

without addressing the root issues faced by those struggling with substance use disorders.

We must advocate for expanded access to evidence-based health strategies that have proven effective in saving lives. This includes making medications for opioid use disorder more widely available, increasing harm-reduction services and ensuring naloxone is distributed across all communities.

Cara Wykowski
Oakland

This letter to the editor was originally published on The Mercury News