Countless people are at high risk of dangerous or fatal overdoses every single day. In recent years, fentanyl has contributed heavily to the rate of overdoses, but many other narcotics remain serious issues.
To help bring the risk of overdoses down to zero, and to honor those who have passed away from overdoses, The Lakes Treatment Center and so many others around the world are observing International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st.
What is International Overdose Awareness Day?
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event designed to raise awareness of the overdose crisis. It’s the world’s largest annual campaign for overdose prevention and provides education, resources, and public health services to address the grief felt by family and friends left behind by their loved ones.
The ultimate goal of this international awareness day is to save lives, provide resources, and offer support to patients and communities. Participants are encouraged to spread awareness and share meaningful, overdose-related content using the hashtags #TogetherWeCan, #IOAD, and #EndOverdose.
Why Does International Overdose Awareness Day Matter?
The rates of drug abuse and the number of substance abuse disorder diagnoses have increased substantially. In many cases, external stressors contribute to someone’s decision to first use a dangerously addictive drug. This unfortunate development makes International Overdose Awareness Day more important than ever before.
Overdose data from the National Safety Council (NSC) shows that in 2023:
- 97,231 overdose deaths occurred in 2023.
- Opioid drug overdoses represent 78% of all preventable drug overdoses.
- The 35- to 44-year age group had the most overdose deaths at 20,881.
- 70% of preventable opioid deaths occur among those ages 25 to 54.
- 70% of fatal opioid overdoses are suffered by males (54,751 male deaths compared to 20,742 female deaths).
- The estimated economic cost of opioid use disorder and fatal overdoses from a 2017 study was $150 billion, with an additional $871 billion in non-economic costs.
The White House, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have all issued statements about International Overdose Awareness Day and its important message. From all of us at The Lakes Treatment Center, we hope that you will join us in the observation and practice of this important day, too. When more people think about overdose risks and how to prevent them, more people can get help for dangerous addictions.
What Can You Do on International Overdose Awareness Day?
Ending overdoses is something that we can all work towards, even in small ways. Every good effort adds up to something great, after all. If you want to observe International Overdose Awareness Day, then there is sure to be something that you can do to help.
This International Overdose Awareness Day, you can:
- Seek treatment options if you are struggling with substance use disorder.
- Speak with treatment specialists if a loved one has an unsafe addiction.
- Talk with your loved ones about how to fight addiction together.
- Spread awareness of International Overdose Awareness Day.
For many people, spreading the word about International Overdose Awareness Day is the simplest way to help out. In fact, you can do this, too, and quite easily. Just share this blog (you can copy the URL above) with your friends, family, and social media circles.
For more information about how to fight substance addiction, or to get help with a substance use disorder, call (209) 309-3573 to connect with The Lakes Addiction Treatment near Modesto, California. Contact us to start your recovery today.
