International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s most extensive annual campaign to end overdose. Drug overdose has impacted every community across the nation. Provisional data from the CDC reported that nearly 110,000 drug overdoses occurred in 2022, and about three-quarters were attributed to opioids.
In Tennessee, there were over 3,800 drug overdose deaths in 2022, and in Bedford County, the count for all drug overdose deaths was 15 in 2022.
Drug overdose deaths in the state increased consistently between 2018 and 2021, and 96% of all overdose deaths in 2022 were due to unintentional poisoning. An accidental overdose occurs when someone uses drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, or fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl.
Methamphetamine abuse in Bedford County and across the state has taken an enormous toll, with the abuse of the drug skyrocketing.
Overdose prevention campaigns work tirelessly to prevent drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths, especially among young people. There are resources, tools, and information that individuals, families, and communities can use to increase awareness, prevent overdose, and save lives.
Locally, the Prevention Coalition of Bedford County provides hotlines, information about addiction, and prevention resources. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services lists regional overdose prevention specialists. Meth Free Tennessee is a website founded to provide general information about meth, resources for how to get help, and
information on how to report suspected meth production.
Nationally, the International Overdose Awareness Day website provides extensive resources and ways to get involved. The National Harm Reduction Coalition offers evidence-based strategies that reduce the risk of overdose. Finally, the National Safety Council provides resources for the workplace.
Overdose is preventable, and anyone can begin increasing their awareness right now. Initially, it is crucial to keep in mind that stigma or the fear of stigma stops individuals from sharing their addiction problems with their friends or family. Stigma can come from individuals, family members, clinicians, or the community. Begin by removing the stigma.
Moreover, you should become familiar with the facts about fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
Experts also recommend becoming familiar with polysubstance use facts. Polysubstance use occurs when two or more drugs are taken together, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
The primary risk factors associated with overdose include mixing drugs, tolerance, quality of the drug, using alone, age and physical health, mode of administration, and previous non-fatal overdoses.
Finally, familiarize yourself with life-saving Naloxone. In Tennessee, you can access Naloxone with or without a prescription. Pharmacies in the state with collaborative agreements are the easiest to purchase naloxone without a prescription. Naloxone is covered by insurance, private insurance, and Tenn Care.
Every individual action matter and coming together as a community creates a 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 are necessary steps everyone can take to save lives, protect communities, and safeguard families.
Michael Leach has spent most of his career as a healthcare professional specializing in substance use and addiction recovery and is a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA.)
