Overdose is a crisis that knows no boundaries. It can impact individuals from all walks of life, regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic status. This year’s theme for International Overdose Awareness Day is “Together We Can” and highlights the collective power of our communities in combating this epidemic.
The statistics are alarming. In South Dakota, 219 individuals tragically lost their lives to overdose in just three years (2020 – 2022), and 98% of those deaths were unintentional¹. North Dakota experiences a similar crisis, with an average of two overdose deaths each week². These numbers represent more than just statistics; they represent real people, families, friends, and coworkers.
As healthcare providers, we are on the front lines of this crisis. We have a unique opportunity to make a difference. By coming together, we can:
- End the stigma: Open conversations about substance use disorder are essential to breaking down barriers and encouraging help-seeking behavior.
- Promote Narcan: This life-saving medication can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. By increasing access to Narcan, we can save lives.
- Support those affected: Offer compassion and resources to individuals and families impacted by overdose.
- Advocate for change: Work with policymakers to implement evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
Let’s stand together and create a healthier, safer community for everyone. #TogetherWeCan #IOAD2024 #EndOverdose
National Resources:
- International Overdose Awareness Day – Together We Can Toolkit
- Naloxone Training and Toolkit | CDC
- Save a Life, Get Naloxone – Opioid Safety and Overdose Prevention Information | Prevent & Protect
- Guide for Pharmacists Dispensing Naloxone | Prevent & Protect
South Dakota Resources:
- Straight Up Care – Match with the best peer support. Based on advanced machine learning to reduce your search time, ensuring better connection on your first appointment to get the best help for you.
- The Link – As a community triage center, The Link will be a safe place for people experiencing a non-violent behavioral health crisis or needing care for substance abuse disorders to access immediate treatment and referral to support services.
- Center For Family Medicine – A convenient and affordable clinic dedicated to helping keep your entire family healthy. They offer a wide array of medical services, including in-clinic tests and referrals to any hospital or specialist you choose.
North Dakota Resources:
- Recovery Reinvented – Recovery Reinvented is a movement to end the shame and stigma surrounding the disease of addiction in North Dakota. Recovery Reinvented is for everyone who DREAM of a world where addiction is treated and addressed like the disease it is, who offer HOPE that people can and do recover, and who ACT to end stigma and improve the lives of everyone around them.
- North Dakota Health And Human Services – Peer support certification and training.
- Help is Here: Available Resources – Help is Here offers a wide variety of resources, from new self-care practices to finding behavioral health treatment options, economic assistance options and rent help.
References:
Naloxone is the easiest way to reverse a fentanyl overdose. Learn how to use it.
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network developed this Naloxone training for ANYONE interested in learning more about how Naloxone can be used to save a life.
This 20-minute training provides an overview of the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, three different naloxone administration techniques and Good Samaritan Laws in North Dakota and South Dakota.
After completing the training video, a QR code/link is provided to access a Naloxone Training knowledge check. The knowledge check consists of 5 questions. A certificate of completion will be provided once the knowledge check is submitted.