AUGUST 31st is Overdose Awareness Day
After a few years of improving numbers, this past year saw an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths. Every year on August 31st events are held around the world to educate people regarding prescription drug misuse, synthetic drugs, abuse prevention, and addiction treatment. Thousands will tell stories of their own addiction with a common theme being, none of them could have anticipated their addiction. As an example, Shirley Davis recently wrote her own addiction and desire to find alternatives to manage stress after losing her ability to walk and spending 7 years in a nursing facility. She now works tirelessly to educate others to keep them from falling into the same trap.
What starts with a valid prescription, can turn into addiction when one Vicodin or one hydrocode no longer has the same effect. Eventually, someone may turn to synthetic opioids because they are cheap and 50-100x more powerful. That strength can lead to accidental deaths as happened with more than 81,000 people in 2020 in the U.S.
Take action by asking your doctor for opioid alternatives when you receive a painkiller prescription. You can also buy Narcan over-the-counter at pharmacies, or reach out to Project Opioid to get a free dose of the medicine. This is especially important if you or someone you know has an opioid abuse disorder. Narcan (the inhaler version of naloxone) saves lives in overdose situations.
To participate this year, register for this virtual event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-overdose-awareness-day-virtual-event-registration-166220318447
For more information, please visit: https://www.overdoseday.com/
Other sources:
https://cptsdfoundation.org/2021/08/23/international-overdose-awareness-day/
NIDA. 2021, June 1. Heroin DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin on 2021, August 21
NIDA. 2021, June 1. Fentanyl DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/fentanyl on 2021, August 22
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html
Brice Rider 