August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day
I’ve written a couple of essays on drug overdoses. Unfortunately, as a drug counselor, I’ve known too many people who have died. Drug overdoses happen more often than you want to believe.
Last year, I surveyed a group of ten people who were in drug treatment for addiction to opioids (heroin or pain killers). Among these ten people, they had experienced eleven overdoses. When asked how many overdoses they had witnessed or known of among their peer group, they counted more than sixty. When asked how many of those overdoses resulted in death, they counted twenty-two. Over the course of the past year, they lost many more as the number of deaths has reached an epidemic. Making matters worse, stronger drugs are on the street such as Fentanyl which is much more powerful than heroin.
However, overdose deaths and injuries are not restricted to opiates. Overdoses occur with alcohol, stimulants such as amphetamines (meth), and depressants such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc.). Many people accidentally take too many pills, or they may be prescribed medications by multiple physicians that compound the effect of others. Recently there have been a high number of overdoses from synthetic marijuana.
No one sets out to overdose on a substance and overdoses are not restricted to drug addicts. It could happen to anyone, of any socioeconomic grouping. When it happens, it is not unlike death or injury from any other accident. It should not be a shameful secret. An overdose victim, even if they were addicted to a substance, is a valuable person whose passing will be mourned.
August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. Its’ goals are to raise awareness of overdoses and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. The day also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends who have lost someone as a result of a drug overdose.
The tragedy of overdose death is preventable. In addition to first responders and medical personnel, technology can be helpful. Now there’s a free app called Overdose Aware which identifies overdose types: stimulants, depressants, opioids and alcohol. It defines overdose and lists the signs and symptoms of an overdose by each of these types. It even describes tolerance and the high risk of an overdose when returning to what was a customary amount of a substance after a period of not using, such as after a detox or time in prison. There are dangers even in the case of a non-fatal overdose. Permanent brain damage can result if the brain does not get sufficient oxygen to the brain. It also walks you through the use of Naloxone (a.k.a. Narcan) to reverse an opiate overdose if you have a kit available.
Prevention and remembrance are the goals of the Overdose Awareness Day. It is an opportunity for people to publicly mourn their loved ones, some for the first time, without guilt or shame. And it is an opportunity to learn basic information on the range of support services that exists in the local community. Please join me in Galena, IL on the 31st at 5:00 p.m. for this event.
I am collecting written tributes to people who have died of a drug overdose in the tri-state area. My intention is to pay homage by printing the collection in our local papers and social media. Please consider taking the time to write your thoughts in a paragraph or two, omitting their last names, and send to me at itc@interactionstherapycenter.com or mail to Gail Gabbert at 939 Galena Square Dr., Galena, IL 61036.