These NaloxBox units contain the opioid reversal agent naloxone, also known as Narcan, which blocks the effects of an overdose and can make a life-or-death difference, officials said.
“Making overdose response tools like naloxone readily available to any Hoosier who may encounter an individual suffering from an overdose is critical in addressing the drug epidemic,” Gov. Holcomb said.
We saw a staggering number of deaths from COVID-19 in 2020. But it wasn’t the only public health crisis that claimed the lives of many of our loved ones.
“The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection,” Executive Director of Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement Doug Huntsinger, said. “And we know that last year has been very difficult for people to stay connected.”
Opioid usage has skyrocketed in Indiana during the pandemic and the Indiana State Museum wants to get the word out.
More than 800 Hoosiers died in the first six months of 2020 from overdoses, according to Indiana Department of Health preliminary data. That’s a 41% increase compared to the first six months of 2019. Emergency room visits due to overdoses went up 53%.
Stigma can result in a person being denied access to housing, jobs, custody of their children, community leadership roles, fairness in the criminal justice system, and participation in a faith community. Very seriously, experiencing stigma can result in a person with a substance use disorder failing to seek treatment and additional recovery support when it is most needed. So, yes, stigma can contribute to death.
According to the CDC, more than 750,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. In 2018, two out of three overdose deaths involved opioids. Deaths involving synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have gone up 10% since 2013. On average, 128 people die a day from an opioid overdose. Medication-Assisted Treatment is offering lifesaving solutions.
Across the nation’s over 3,000 counties, opioid misuse continues to pose a challenge for county justice and health departments, with 130 Americans dying of an opioid overdose daily, according to the National Association of Counties. But the full extent of the rural drug problem doesn’t stop there; it’s impacting families as well as those who work in border control, health departments, sheriffs, and criminal justice systems.
Increased naloxone (Narcan) access and training is a key tool for preventing overdose deaths.
Naloxone is a fast-acting opioid antagonist. This means it can reverse and block the effects of an opioid overdose. It comes in the form of an injection or a nasal spray, both of which are easy to use after a quick training.
Marketing experts say public health advertising often falls short because it incites people’s worst fears rather than providing clear steps viewers can take to save lives.
Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario have been located in ten locations across the province since February 2017. These one-stop shops for youth between the ages of 12 to 25 deal with a wide range of issues that can lead to addiction if unaddressed.