The Reality of Opiate Addiction: Michigan Woman Crashes Car, One-Year-Old in the Backseat

A photo from the Auburn Hills Police Department is going viral, and for good reason.

On Monday morning, a 24-year-old Southfield woman was arrested for driving at speeds of more than 100 mph on I-75, while scraping against the median...with her one-year-old in the backseat.

It's believed that the woman was under the influence of opiates.

In case you're wondering what the difference is between opiates and opioids:

Opiates are derived from the opium poppy, and are used as pain-killing medications. Morphine and codeine are two examples of opiates.

Opioids are synthetic, or partially synthetic drugs that are manufactured to act like opiates. Methadone, Vicodin, Lortab and Percocet are just a few examples.

This post struck me personally: for the past few months, my sister and I have been trying to get a family member help for opiate addiction. Said family member has been addicted to pain pills for over a decade, and has crashed three cars in two years. It's a miracle that nobody else has been hurt. It's literally torn my family apart - we didn't go home for Christmas because of it. A lot of people hate us right now for it. I've even been going to Families Against Narcotics meetings here in Flint to get some local support.

I don't know how much more evidence we need before this is addressed as a real problem, but here's another case for the pile. Thank God her child wasn't hurt. Hopefully she can get some actual help, rather than being locked up or just slapped with a fine.