Coalition Celebrates International Overdose Awareness Day

The Middlesex Coalition for Healthy Communities will be commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2014 by launching its “One Call-One Life Saved” campaign.

International Overdose Awareness Day remembers those who have lost their lives to an overdose. The occasion is also an opportunity to educate policymakers and the public about a variety of proven solutions, such as ‘911 Good Samaritan’ laws and the life-saving opiate overdose reversal medication, naloxone.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdose death rates in the US have more than tripled since 1990 and have never been higher. In 2011, more than 41,000 people died from drug overdoses, and many of these deaths were caused by prescription painkiller opiate drugs, such as oxycodone. The CDC also compiles statistics that indicate on average 22,000 persons each year die from alcohol poisoning, mostly as a result of binge drinking.

“Accidental fatal overdose continues to be a serious problem in the U.S,” said Coalition Coordinator Linda Surks, “but with more bystanders willing to call for help and first responders able to administer naloxone on the scene, we are poised to make a significant difference. Now, we need to be able to follow up those 911 calls with addiction treatment, so the person doesn’t overdose again the next day.”

One health-centered response to overdose mentioned by Ms. Surks receiving national attention in recent months is the ‘911 Good Samaritan’ immunity policy, now passed in 20 states including New Jersey. These policies encourage people who are witnessing an overdose to call 911 without fear of arrest for minor drug law violations. Surks concludes, “It’s a bit of a breakthrough, really, and it’s long overdue. We’re finally seeing a real national shift away from a punitive response to drug overdose to a more health-centered one.”

In Middlesex County, the Coalition will be distributing posters, flyers and business card-sized reminder cards about New Jersey’s 911 Good Samaritan Law at all County high schools, as well as Rutgers University and Middlesex County College. Funding for this effort is provided by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

International Overdose Awareness Day was initiated by the Salvation Army in Australia in 2001. The day is an opportunity for people around the world to publicly mourn loved ones and send a strong message to current drug users that their lives are valued and that no one should ever die from a preventable fatal drug overdose.

For more information, please contact Coalition Coordinator Linda Surks at 732-254-3344.