In last weekend’s column, I mentioned October as being “Respect Life” month and noted that the protection of life in the womb is foundational to all other rights we have as human persons. Once a person is born though, he or she becomes vulnerable to other threats against his or her life. As we progress through this Respect Life month, I’d like to focus on some additional threats to life besides abortion that we may not always think of, so that we might be attentive to them as we seek to respect and protect all life from womb to tomb. One such threat facing our communities and nation is the opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020 saw a record high of 93,000 overdose deaths with 60 percent (56,000) of those attributed to synthetic opioids. The CDC estimates that the economic burden of opioid misuse in the United States is $78 Billion a year. While prescribed for pain relief, opioids have been proven to be highly addictive and can lead to the use of more powerful drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, increasing the risk of fatal overdose. Just this past week, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a public safety alert about a sharp increase of fake prescription painkillers laced with fentanyl flooding the United States through the internet and on our streets, adding to the danger of death by overdose. Although young people ages 15-24 are most likely to die of an overdose, addiction to these painkillers does not happen only to the young. Older people can also easily fall victim to such addiction. What can we do to stem the tide of this tragic trend? First, I think we can be careful about our own use of opioid pain relievers. Although opioids often are prescribed matter-of-factly after surgeries, other less potent pain relievers might be sufficient to control pain and discomfort. We can speak with our doctors prior to any surgery to see if there is an alternative. Second, if we have been prescribed such pain relievers, we can use them sparingly and in strict accordance with our physician’s directions. Should we not use all the prescribed medication, we ought to dispose of it properly, and as soon as possible, at an approved drug collection site such as in the lobby of our local police department. This prevents these powerfully addictive drugs from falling into the wrong hands where they could be misused or abused. Third, if we are aware of someone with an addiction, we can encourage and support them in getting necessary treatment. Each year the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal funds outreach programs throughout the Archdiocese that help people with addictions including Catholic Charities and private organizations such as the Farrell Treatment Center in New Britain and Wellmore in Waterbury. Our care and concern for the lives of others caught up in opioid addiction is a powerful way to honor and respect the dignity of all human life.