International Overdose Awareness Day

Saturday, August 31 marks a somber anniversary. In honor of the more than 1,400 opioid deaths experienced in Connecticut each year – meaning 1,400 families and countless friends and colleagues losing a loved one and nearly four people passing away per day in that time – and more than 80,000 total overdoses nationwide in 2023, August 31 commemorates International Overdose Awareness Day.

This date leads to significant increases in drawing attention to the resources available to individuals struggling with substance use disorder and addiction, helping them seek treatment and recovery; it also is meant to aid families and loved ones of those struggling with addition, helping them best practices in caring for those close to them.

A secondary focal point of International Overdose Awareness Day is its effort to reduce the stigma that sometimes shrouds substance use disorder and can prevent people from seeking aid. Substance use disorder doesn’t discriminate and is an illness that can impact anyone, far from societal assumptions of addition being a personal or moral failing. These indications changing and becoming less harmful to the individual play a vital role in helping people accept treatment, which can and does save lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute on Drug Abuse, three of four people who struggle with addiction recover from the condition.

Addiction and substance use disorder, especially regarding the opioid epidemic, are increasingly dangerous for the public. The CDC reported in 2022 that 80% of deaths from overdose in Connecticut were caused primarily by fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic that can be extremely dangerous and has grown in use in recent years. This means that connecting those in need with the care they deserve is more important than ever, as the possibility of overdose has grown precipitously with fentanyl’s increasing spread.

Connecticut has many resources available to those experiencing substance use disorder and their loved ones to prevent more grief and mourning, as each life lost sends a ripple effect through the lives of those who love them. Since 2019, Connecticut has had the LiveLOUD campaign in place, which uses social media, radio, transit and billboard ads to connect with people actively using fentanyl, heroin or prescription opioids and their families and communities. www.LiveLOUD.org offers support and treatment options on this complicated issue and information on how to spread awareness of addition.

Additionally, those seeking treatment can also access state resources through www.CTAddictionServices.com or call 1-800-563-4086 to get connected to local treatment services.

International Overdose Awareness Day marks a somber occasion, but also has the potential to save lives. By treating addiction with the seriousness it deserves we can achieve much stronger results in helping individuals receive the care they need.

Posted by Joe O’Leary