Let’s blow straight past a few of the givens in the ongoing drug overdose epidemic. Some truths are too obvious to continue ignoring or denying.

Chief among these is the call by some community leaders to draw more attention to the problem. By now it should be crystal clear. Everyone is aware. There were a record 74 overdose deaths last year in Butler County, a number already matched in 2017 with six weeks remaining.

That’s 74 unexpected funerals for grieving families. That’s 74 family members who won’t be seated at the table this week for Thanksgiving.

More than a few experts speculate that the overdose deaths would be much greater were it not for the widespread deployment of Narcan, the opioid antidote available over the counter at Pennsylvania pharmacies, and being administered by emergency response personnel statewide.

Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, is the other issue we should withdraw from debate. Narcan saves lives. But critics say the widespread availability of Narcan might actually encourage overdoses. Lulled into a false sense of security above a naloxone safety net, addicts flout death as well as criminal prosecution as a consequence of their drug abuse.

Boiled down to its essence, drug abuse — and substance abuse, for that matter — amounts to pain relief. People seek an escape, however temporary, from physical, emotional or spiritual pain, or the burden that causes it.

There are very few generalizations that can be made about substance abuse, but pain relief is the one underlying universal we must consider if we’re ever going to solve this immense problem:

n What’s causing widespread pain?

n What can be done to relieve it?

“Nobody wants to be an addict. He was ashamed of it,” says Ed Freyermuth, whose son Justin Freyermuth died of an overdose earlier this year.

Justin struggled and ultimately failed to kick his habit. Failure and shame are painful. Drugs relieve the pain, but only temporarily.

What’s the alternative?

Charlene Eckert has the answer. Eckert is the founder of Hope for Broken Hearts, a support group for families of drug addicts.

“There are a lot of families out there that are hurting,” Eckert says in today’s front-page feature story. She wants more people talking about addiction, and that will erase the stigma.

“I encourage people to find a group or start a group,” Eckert advises. “You don’t have to know everything to start a group. You have to be compassionate, learn as you go and help educate other people.”

It’s a point well taken. Nobody knows more about overdose deaths than the people in a community decimated by them. Analytics won’t clarify the ongoing heartache we’re suffering.

At this point, any participation is better than none. Let’s stop waiting on the experts and get the conversations going. Become part of the solution.