08/31/2022
We lost 107,000 people last year to overdose. That’s almost 300 people a day finding the air leaving their lungs, their hearts slowing until they stop beating. Overdose deaths are preventable, and yet we’ve found reasons to stop giving people chances to fight this illness, this addiction.
Substance use and misuse becomes an illness that literally reshapes brain functions, and fighting addiction is rife with stigma. It is, however, not something that was chosen; it is not a moral failing. Today, on International Overdose Awareness Day, we remember all those we’ve lost. We stand with the grieving families and friends who knew these people as more than how they died.
In the United States alone, overdose deaths increased by 28% between 2020 and 2021. This epidemic is not new. We have been combating Substance Use Disorder for decades and making little strides. We believe one of the crucial first steps in supporting those struggling is to hold honest conversations and to acknowledge that harm reduction plays a critical role. The more we begin to understand this disease, the more we can support those we love in finding recovery
