Author: John Carter

International Overdose Awareness Day National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse

He expressed the need to expand mental health and substance use disorder services across the country, and spoke about President Biden and Vice President Harris’ tireless work to address this crisis since day one of this Administration. Dr. Gupta spoke about his experience as a physician treating patients with opioid use disorder and the President’s commitment to taking bold action to save lives in memory of those who have been lost to this crisis. During this week of recognition, the Biden-Harris Administration reaffirms our commitment to beating this epidemic — in memory of those we have lost and to protect the lives we can still save. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 27 through September 2, 2023, as Overdose Awareness Week. I call upon citizens, government agencies, civil society organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise awareness of substance use disorder so that our Nation can combat stigmatization, promote treatment, celebrate recovery, and strengthen our collective efforts to prevent overdose deaths. August 31st also marks Overdose Awareness Day, on which we honor and remember those who have lost their lives to the drug overdose epidemic.

Prevention and treatment of drug overdoses improve when we raise our voices as one. Naloxone is a lifesaving medicine that can reverse an overdose from opioids, even when benzodiazepines are also present. Often given as a nasal spray, naloxone is safe and easy to use–and is safe to administer when bystanders are uncertain if opioids are involved because adverse side effects are very rare. Both benzodiazepines and opioids cause sedation and suppress breathing; combining these drugs increases a person’s risk of overdose and death.

In addition to this toolkit, a campaign resources overview provides a list of materials available for download and print. CDC created a suite of naloxone materials and tools to support your efforts to discuss naloxone with patients. These tools can help clinicians inform patients, families, and/or caregivers about the value of naloxone in a non-stigmatizing manner. Studies show that naloxone may not always be offered when risk factors are present, such as taking higher doses of opioids, prescriptions for benzodiazepines in addition to opioids, or history of overdose.

For Healthcare Professionals

Strengthening the recovery support services workforce also is essential to promoting access and quality. Aug 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a day to remember those lost to #overdose, acknowledge the grief of loved ones left behind, and work to #EndOverdose injury & death. National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible. On this Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the lives of countless individuals and their loved ones who have been impacted by substance use disorder.

1. We invite you to help share our message that drug overdose is preventable.
2. The Biden-Harris Administration has already invested billions of dollars and significant expertise towards these efforts.
3. I call upon citizens, government agencies, civil society organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise awareness of substance use disorder so that our Nation can combat stigmatization, promote treatment, celebrate recovery, and strengthen our collective efforts to prevent overdose deaths.

Every community across our country has been impacted by the overdose crisis. And behind all of the statistics are families, friends, and communities that will be forever changed. Everyone has a role to play and observing Overdose Awareness Week and International Overdose Awareness Day provide an important opportunity to remember those who have been lost and recommit to doing everything we can to prevent substance use and overdose. Our features highlight prevention, awareness, or screening for different public health topics related to drug overdose in short, user-friendly articles.

Readout of HHS Black Health Forum

As a part of my Unity Agenda, we passed a law making it easier for doctors to prescribe effective treatments, leading to an unprecedented and historic expansion that finally put help within reach for millions of Americans. Harm Reduction – Evidence-based harm reduction strategies minimize negative consequences of drug use. These activities further expand access to harm reduction interventions such as opioid overdose reversal medications and fentanyl and xylazine test strips and better integrate harm reduction into specialty and general medical care. With our theme for 2023, “Recognizing those people who go unseen,” we honor the people whose lives have been altered by overdose.

Every August, SAMHSA commemorates Overdose Awareness Week (August 27 to September 2, 2023) and International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31, 2023) to remember the individuals, families, and communities who have all been impacted by overdose. According to the latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 110,000 lives were lost to overdose in the 12-months ending in March 2023, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as the main drivers of these deaths. Adding to the challenge of rising fentanyl-involved overdoses is the emergence of xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer, increasingly mixed with fentanyl in the illicit drug supply. August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose. This is a day for us to remember those who have died from drug overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. We encourage you to use this occasion to raise awareness and to help spread the hope of recovery and to end overdose.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on 31 August each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends, remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury due to a drug overdose. The fight against the drug overdose epidemic is continually evolving, and benzodiazepines constitute an emerging and dangerous front. Drug overdose does not discriminate – rich or poor, Black or white, urban or suburban, drug overdoses reach every corner of our society. On this Overdose Awareness Day, we reflect on the toll that substance misuse takes, both in terms of lives lost and the immeasurable pain it brings to families and communities.

She is the mother of three amazing children, her oldest son Bryce who would be thirty-three years old this year, passed away on October 17, 2018, from endocarditis followed by two strokes leading to brain death as a result of IV drug use. Erin did not start painting until a year after his passing, she paints as therapy and a way to connect with her son. Most of her paintings are landscapes, she loves the outdoors, and her son also loved the beach, the mountains, and outdoor sports. Bryce was an amazing son and man, very loving and caring, always giving and trying to help others, he loved his family, friends, and job as an ironworker in California’s bay area. He is desperately missed by his family, each painting that Erin creates contains his initials “BT.” The hope is that through these paintings, awareness of this devastating disease will increase, and stigma and shame will be replaced with real help and understanding. International Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable.

What are the signs of an overdose?

Naloxone can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and prescription opioid medications. Be sure to contact emergency services for overdoses involving both benzodiazepines and opioids, even after naloxone administration, because benzodiazepine overdose symptoms may need additional medical treatment. August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Dayexternal icon every year. It’s a day to remember and grieve those we’ve lost, and to strengthen resolve to end overdose injuries and deaths.

And our new National Response Plan to address the deadly combination of fentanyl mixed with xylazine coordinates efforts across all of government to confront this dangerous emerging threat. The Biden-Harris Administration has already invested billions of dollars and significant expertise towards these efforts. In 2022, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yielded an estimate of 109,680 drug overdose deaths in the United States. The 82,998 predicted opioid-involved drug overdose deaths in the United States for the 12-month period ending in December 2022 is an increase from 82,310 in the previous year. The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which is one of the world’s worst public health crises, and stimulates action and discussion about evidence-based overdose prevention and drug policy.

CDC and partners celebrate health awareness and observances and each year. Here you will find links to information, tools, and resources on yearly observances related to our drug overdose topics that are meant to inform the public and spread awareness. These symbols include silver badges, purple wristbands, and purple lanyards. Wearing these symbols demonstrates support for those who have suffered from an overdose and their loved ones.

The estimated number of people using opioids globally has doubled from million people in 2010 to 61.3 million in 2020. Over the last twenty years drug overdose deaths have increased significantly in many parts of the world. Each year a record number of deaths are reported, predominantly driven by the misuse of opioids, often in combination with other drugs including benzodiazepines, stimulants and alcohol.

Primary Prevention – These strategies promote tiered, multidisciplinary prevention activities, ranging from population-level strategies to targeted interventions aimed at high-risk individuals. These activities engage health and human services providers directly and facilitate cross-sector collaboration on prevention to address key upstream risk and protective factors. This year on August 31, let’s acknowledge and support the people in our communities who go unrecognized by raising awareness of the hidden impacts of overdose, promoting education of overdose response, and reaching out to politicians to make lasting, lifesaving policy changes. Join us as an IOAD partner by using your voice and platforms to spread the message of ending overdose. This partner toolkit provides free resources, including key IOAD messages, social media content, and patient and provider educational materials, to spread the word about ending overdose.