It is disturbing that the reports of narcotic overdose deaths have increased to more than one per day in Maine. What is the reason for this? A number are addicts, others are those starting to use and who made a mistake.

A person’s habitual use of drugs is a self-imposed practice — entirely voluntary. People made a decision and followed through with it. There are those who claim medical practitioners caused some of it with liberal prescription practices, but that cause is a very minor number, if at all, because of pharmaceutical controls.

Increasing amounts of taxpayers’ funds are being spent to help those individuals. Now, voters made recreational marijuana available — a known gateway drug. An increasing population is falling into habitual use. Where is their self-control and ability to say no? No one is making them do this, but they do not realize that the result could be the loss of health, a job and friends and family.

A lack of information plays a role when a person starts to use narcotics. No public information campaign has developed similar to the anti-smoking, anti-alcohol, and the anti-obesity movements. The usual series of events are increased taxpayer-funded treatment programs, reaching the level of unaffordability, an increased number of citizens with tragic results, and then a public outcry to change the laws and clean up the mess.

An intense public information program is needed now, outlining the consequences of habitual narcotics.

Thomas Shields, Auburn