International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose. Drug overdose has impacted every community throughout the nation, and the campaign focuses on raising awareness of overdose, which is a global public health crisis.
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that of the nearly 110,000 drug overdoses in 2022, about three-quarters were attributed to opioids. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs have been at the center of this problem. Fentanyl is found in fake prescription drugs and illicit street drugs, thus fueling the epidemic.
Massachusetts’ opioid-related overdose deaths totaled 2,125 last year, down 10% from the previous year, according to the Department of Public Health . There were 2,357 confirmed opioid-related deaths — an all-time high — in the state for 2022.
‘The biggest barrier is us’: Existence of overdose prevention centers is slowed by stigma
Overdose prevention campaigns work tirelessly to prevent these 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.