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Addiction is not exclusive, as it can affect anyone and everyone who uses it. The dangerous
stigma that people who are suffering from addiction have purposefully chosen to be addicts is a
stigma that contributes to the lack of resources and funding our society has allowed for people
struggling with addiction. To combat this stigma, our society needs to become more aware that
anyone you may come across might have struggled with addiction or know someone who does.
Nearly half of all Americans have a friend or family member who has or is currently addicted to
drugs (Gramlich, 2017). To drive this point even deeper, the statistic surrounding people who
know a family member or a friend who has struggled with addiction is from 2017, making the
citation roughly 7 years old. Within those 7 years, fentanyl has entered our country, becoming
increasingly present in our communities and neighborhoods. Fentanyl is so present that 150
people are dying every day from an overdose (CDC, 2023). I believe that it is outrageous for our
society to be so naive because of the negative stigma of people suffering from addiction that
they believe that 150 people are actively choosing to die from addiction every day. I recently
came across a video of the famous “Jelly Roll” testifying in front of Congress regarding the
fentanyl crisis. In this testimony, he states something along the lines of “150 people are dying
from fentanyl every day; that’s the same amount of people an airplane could fit. Could you
imagine if there were one plane crash every day and how much media attention that would
get?” Jelly Roll’s questioning of media coverage of fentanyl and drug-related overdose coverage
in the media is him acknowledging just how much the negative stigma surrounding addiction
impacts our society’s assumptions and view of addiction and overdose. To combat this negative
stigma, our society must effectively denounce any prejudice against people who are struggling
with addiction and acknowledge the lengthy reach that addiction has on all people across our
country. We must offer resources and preventative efforts in all communities to offer support
to all people who need it, regardless of stigma.

Citations:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, September 6). Fentanyl facts. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html#:~:text=Fentanyl%20and%20other
%20synthetic%20opioids,drugs%20involved%20in%20overdose%20deaths.&text=Even%
20in%20small%20doses%2C%20it,to%20synthetic%20opioids%20like%20fentanyl.
Gramlich, J. (2017, October 26). Nearly half of Americans have a family member or close friend
who’s been addicted to drugs. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-
reads/2017/10/26/nearly-half-of-americans-have-a-family-member-or-close-friend-whos-
been-addicted-to-drugs/

The decision to stop using the drugs that inhabitant one’s body and take control over one’s
brain is a hard decision to make. We here at, A Betor Way, urge you to look at the resources our
community offers. While we know that it is a personal journey when overcoming the grip of
drug-abuse we must also extend our hand in providing resources to keep you motivated on
your path to living healthily.
In Memphis you can find NA meetings at several locations such as:
First Congregational Church at 1000 South Cooper Steet holds both in person and virtual
meetings every day at their location at 8am, both virtually and in person.
The Commons at 258 North Merton Street hold in-person meetings every day, Monday –
Saturday at 12pm and Sunday at 2pm .
Hope Presbyterian Church at 8500 Walnut Grove Road, at varying times, Tuesday at 12pm and
7:30pm, Thursday at 12pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday at 6:30pm.
There are multiple other locations and times for meetings, and we implore you, if needed and if
wanted, to be in attendance. Here is the link to the full list of meeting locations and times:
https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/text-
results.php?country=USA&state=Tennessee&city=Memphis&zip=&street=&within=20&day=0&
lang=&orderby=datetime.
If you do not have means to travel but have access to the internet here is a resource on
virtual meetings that occur varying times and days of the week.
The link is: https://virtual-na.org/meetings/
If you do not have access to the internet and means to travel here are some helpful resources
to do on your own.
You can build a support group. You can build a support group with friends and families to hold
yourself accountable for your commitment to your sobriety.
You can chew gum or speak words of wisdom to yourself such as, “I can do this” or ” I am strong
enough to overcome this”.
Exercise or do something to get your mind off using. If you are into video games, play a level of
your favorite video games and you might find yourself forgetting the negative thoughts and
instead on how far you’ve come in your favorite video game.

Here is a link to more resources if you need them: https://www.webmd.com/mental-
health/addiction/tips-stay-sober

You can reach one of our peer support specialist by emailing lisa@abetorway.org anytime.

Please continue your efforts in your journey of sobriety. You are making the right choice, and you are strong enough to do this.

I know the official first day of spring this year was March 20th, but for me, what really marks Springtime in Memphis is the Crawfish Festival! As the first real event of Spring, this annual event consumes almost an entire ton of crawfish, welcomes close to 10,000 visitors, and has quickly become a favorite event of local Memphians, especially midtowners.

Each year, people from all over the region descend on Overton Square to eat, drink, and be merry while supporting a non-profit charity, which receives the majority of the event’s receipts. This year’s event is particularly exciting because this year’s Crawfish Festival benefits A Betor Way. Not only does this raise needed funds for the group, but more importantly, raises awareness of the groups mission, to provide assistance and resources to addicts and those affected by addiction, while eliminating barriers to anyone seeking help with addiction.

In addition to benefiting financially from this year’s festival, A Betor Way has also volunteered their time and resources to organize, support, and manage this year’s Crawfish Festival. This establishes a great partnership that not only allows the community to invest in A Betor Way, but also provides a path for A Betor Way to give back to the community they so deeply love and want to protect. So mark April 13th on your calendars and head down to Overton Square to enjoy some mud bugs, live music, and share in the fun that happens every spring.