Drug overdose is preventable: do your part

By Michael Leach | Exclusive to the Courier

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. Launched in 2001, the annual campaign aims to raise awareness about overdose, which has now affected every community in the country. Too many families have lost loved ones, but this and similar campaigns can save lives.

According to the CDC, there were 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023, thankfully a 3% decrease from 2022, the first such decline since 2018. However, synthetic opioids—most notably fentanyl—continue to be involved in three-quarters of all overdose deaths nationwide. According to the California Department of Public Health's Overdose Surveillance Dashboard, there were more than 6,400 fentanyl overdose deaths in the state in 2022, and over 21,000 people visited emergency rooms for an opioid overdose.

Overdose prevention campaigns help prevent these deaths. They provide resources, tools and information that individuals, families and communities can use to raise awareness and save lives. Local prevention and education resources to consider include the Overdose Prevention Initiative. And the California Department of Public Health continues to promote overdose awareness through media spots, social media and various messaging.

One of the best-known national resources for education and prevention is the International Overdose Awareness Day website at overdoseday.com. The National Harm Reduction Coalition also offers evidence-based strategies for reducing overdose risk at harmreduction.org. And the National Safety Council at nsc.org provides resources for the workplace.

It is important to remember that overdoses are preventable. Individuals and communities can raise awareness through practical campaigns. First, remember that stigma or the fear of stigma prevents an addict from sharing their problems with friends or family. This stigma can come from friends, family members, doctors, or even communities. Start by removing the stigma.

In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the facts about fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. It is often mixed into counterfeit prescription drugs and illegal street drugs, making it impossible to detect without using a fentanyl test strip.

In addition, most overdose deaths are due to polydrug use, when two or more drugs are taken together, either intentionally or inadvertently. The main risk factors associated with overdose include drug mixing, drug tolerance, drug strength, use alone, age and physical condition of the user, method of ingestion, and previous non-fatal overdoses.

Also, get familiar with life-saving naloxone, also known as Narcan. California law allows licensed health care providers to provide naloxone to anyone. Community organizations are permitted to provide naloxone without a prescription to anyone at risk or anyone who can help someone at risk. The local Pomona Hospital Medical Center emergency department gives out free doses of naloxone to anyone 24 hours a day. Just stop by and ask for the medication.

Most importantly, we must remember those we have lost to overdoses and acknowledge the grief of the families left behind. Overdoses affect everyone, and this should also reinforce our commitment to ending overdoses and all the harms associated with them.

International Overdose Awareness Day focuses on how important each individual action is and how coming together as a community leads to decisive collective action. Overdose awareness is for everyone, for people who use drugs and those who don't, for families who have lost loved ones, for healthcare workers, advocates and activists. These steps everyone can take can save lives, protect communities and keep families safe.

Michael Leach is a medical professional specializing in substance use and addiction treatment.