International Overdose Awareness Day
Raising awareness of this epidemic and commemorating those who have been lost
From 1999 to 2017, more than 700,000 people died from a drug overdose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The most prevalent cause of fatal overdose? Opioid abuse.
In fact, 115 people died from opioid overdoses every day in 2016, alone. That’s 41,975 people. In one year.
How did we get to this point? Dr. Don Teater, a medical advisor to the National Safety Council, said opioids are being overprescribed—even though other non-addictive medicines, including many over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen, are just as effective.
“Painkillers don't kill pain. They kill people,” Teater said.
People who take opioid painkillers for too long and in doses too large are more at risk of addiction and more likely to die of drug poisoning. The numbers are staggering. In a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report, the Substance Abuse and Medical Health Services Administration says there are 4.3 million nonmedical users of painkillers and that nearly 2 million people have painkiller substance use disorders.
International Overdose Awareness Day, held every year on August 31, aims to raise awareness about deaths caused by overdoses. The event acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends and spreads the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable.
To organize an International Overdose Awareness Day, invite people to a local gathering at a community center, library, park or other public space. To get started, you can download the NSC Community Action Kit as a planning guide. Here are a few additional ideas to get you started:
- Hold a candlelight vigil
- Offer an educational program, such as one related to preventing opioid use, in partnership with a local organization
- Provide a safe space for telling the stories of overdose victims
- Offer a large canvas and washable paint for survivors to add a handprint in memory of their loved one
- Display empty hats or shoes to represent the number of lives lost in the community
For more information about the opioid crisis in the United States, visit HHS.gov or NSC.org