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Hotline resource for people battling drug addiction

New Mexico continues to battle the ongoing drug crisis. A 2023 WalletHub study found that New Mexico is the state with the highest drug use. MORE: Interactive experience exploring the impact of opioids across the country Dr. Abinash Achrekar, a health expert from KOAT and the University of New Mexico, discusses how illicit drug use is a deadly crisis in the state. “Every eight and a half hours, someone dies of a drug overdose in the state. That adds up to over a thousand deaths a year, and the number continues to rise due to drugs like fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine,” Achrekar said. “It's a growing crisis, and it affects every community.” The New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center is housed in the UNM Health Sciences Center. It has a free and confidential hotline that anyone can call. The hotline is available throughout the day. The 24/7 hotline is also available in multiple languages. Their number is 1-800-222-1222. “We have pharmacists and pharmacy technicians trained in both toxicology and addiction medicine who are ready to help,” Achrekar said. “They can counsel people going through an overdose or withdrawal, connect them to emergency services if needed, and even offer resources like Narcan kits and fentanyl test strips — all for free. It's an important tool for anyone dealing with substance use disorder.” A look at the opioid crisis: State of addiction Achrekar also said the UNM Poison and Drug Information Center is the only one in the country offering this addiction support. “Other centers are learning from what we do here. There's a lot of interest from legislators as well,” Achrekar said. “Rep. Melanie Stansbury recently visited us, and there's a proposal now for additional federal funding to help us expand these services. These funds would help us reach more people in the urban and rural parts of the state. “Right now, New Mexico is leading the nation with this approach and other states are starting to follow our model,” Achrekar said. If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or you can chat online here.

New Mexico continues to battle the ongoing drug crisis. A 2023 WalletHub study found that New Mexico is the state with the highest drug use.

MORE: Interactive experience exploring the impact of opioids across the country

Dr. Abinash Achrekar, a health expert at KOAT and the University of New Mexico, explains why illegal drug use is a deadly crisis in the state.

“Every eight and a half hours, someone dies of a drug overdose in the state. That's over a thousand lives lost every year, and the number continues to rise, because of drugs like fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine,” Achrekar said. “It's a growing crisis, and it's affecting every community.”

The New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center is located in the UNM Health Sciences Center and has a free and confidential hotline that anyone can call.

The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The 24/7 hotline is also available in several languages. The number is 1-800-222-1222.

“We have pharmacists and pharmacy technicians trained in both toxicology and addiction medicine who are ready to help,” Achrekar said. “They can counsel people who are going through an overdose or withdrawal, connect them to emergency services if needed, and even offer resources like Narcan kits and fentanyl test strips – all for free. It's an important tool for anyone dealing with substance use disorder.”

A look at the opioid crisis: State of addiction

Achrekar also said that UNM's Poison and Drug Information Center is the only one in the country that offers this addiction care.

“Other centers are learning from what we're doing here. There's a lot of interest from legislators as well,” Achrekar said. “Rep. Melanie Stansbury recently visited us and there's now a request for additional federal funding to help us expand these services. These funds would help us reach more people in the urban and rural parts of the state.”

“Currently, New Mexico is leading the nation with this approach and other states are beginning to follow our model,” Achrekar said.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can speak to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or you can chat online here.

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