International Overdose Awareness Week

Soon after, health secretary Xavier Becerra and Rahul Gupta, Biden’s drug policy chief, released a statement clarifying that federal dollars would not be used for pipes in smoking kits. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) later introduced legislation banning federal funding for the distribution of pipes or drug paraphernalia. But offering material incentives to help reduce harmful behavior is simply the recognition of basic brain chemistry, said David Gastfriend, an addiction psychiatrist and https://soberhome.net/10-ways-to-control-high-blood-pressure-without/ the chief medical officer at DynamiCare, among the leading companies offering contingency management services. On this Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the lives of countless individuals and their loved ones who have been impacted by substance use disorder. We are also reminded that overdoses are not inevitable if we stand together to help those who need an outstretched hand. While every individual action matters greatly, coming together as an international community creates a powerful collective action.

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According to the latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 110,000 lives were lost to overdose in the 12-months ending in March 2023, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as the main drivers of these deaths. Adding to the challenge of rising ecstasy mdma or molly fentanyl-involved overdoses is the emergence of xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer, increasingly mixed with fentanyl in the illicit drug supply. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health.

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Each year a record number of deaths are reported, predominantly driven by the misuse of opioids, often in combination with other drugs including benzodiazepines, stimulants and alcohol. The Biden-Harris Administration has already invested billions of dollars and significant expertise towards these efforts. My Administration has worked hard to ensure that substance use disorder is treated like any other disease, funding the expansion of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases

The estimated number of people using opioids globally has doubled from million people in 2010 to 61.3 million in 2020. The substance use crisis in America has had a devastating impact on our communities, families, and individuals. It is essential that we equip our communities with the resources and support needed to prevent the fatal consequences https://sober-home.org/how-long-does-cocaine-stay-in-your-system-what-to/ of substance misuse and provide access to evidence-based prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services. By doing this, we can give those affected by addiction the best chance of finding long-term recovery and hope for the future. Over the last twenty years drug overdose deaths have increased significantly in many parts of the world.

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We need to do much more of that in 2024 around opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine, and other lethal drugs. As the antismoking campaign that began in the 1960s showed us, massive and well-coordinated public health efforts can work. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a big and meaningful step in that direction when it approved Narcan for over-the-counter use in March 2023. I have no doubt the increased availability of Narcan has helped bring the overdose numbers down, since Narcan targets opioids like fentanyl and heroin. With this tragic news just in, there are several important things to say about the drug overdose situation in this country. North America continues to experience the highest drug-related mortality rate in the world, accounting for one in four drug-related deaths globally.

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South and Central America and the Caribbean have the highest proportion of people worldwide who are in drug treatment due to the use of cocaine, which is often consumed in smokable forms that are cheap and frequently toxic. In 2019, there were 57 drug-induced deaths in Serbia, equating to 8.21 deaths per million people. Drug Policy Network South-East Europe emphasised controversies and questions regarding the reliability of the data. There were 7,525 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada in 2022, representing a rate of 19.3 deaths per 100,000 population. This rate increased from January-June 2023 to a rate of 21.2 per 100,000 population.

1. It is unclear whether SAMHSA intends to eventually raise its funding cap, either in November following the presidential election or next year, should Vice President Kamala Harris defeat former President Donald Trump.
2. Other arms of the federal government, however, have already endorsed contingency management, and acknowledged that a $75 annual cap poses a significant obstacle.
3. You never know when you could be called on to save a life, and you want to be ready when that call comes,” said Rep. Carter.
4. It is essential that we equip our communities with the resources and support needed to prevent the fatal consequences of substance misuse and provide access to evidence-based prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services.
5. As the antismoking campaign that began in the 1960s showed us, massive and well-coordinated public health efforts can work.
6. Mainstream forms of treatment and harm reduction also remain stigmatized or controversial.

“I’ve been a long-time advocate for naloxone, which is safe and effective, to be available over-the-counter. Now that the FDA has finally made the right move and increased the public’s access to this lifesaving drug, it is critical that we learn how to use it properly so that we can keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe. You never know when you could be called on to save a life, and you want to be ready when that call comes,” said Rep. Carter.

On International Overdose Awareness Day, let’s take the time to remember the ones we’ve lost, and the loved ones left behind, and to recognize the people on the ground who are doing the critical work to help prevent more overdose fatalities. One recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services noted that research shows contingency management is most effective when incentive levels are between $100 and $200 per month, and listed the $75 cap as among several “major barriers” to successful implementation. Other arms of the federal government, however, have already endorsed contingency management, and acknowledged that a $75 annual cap poses a significant obstacle. In a subsequent statement to STAT, Tanden emphasized that the Biden administration’s response to the overdose epidemic is driven by the best available scientific evidence. But she stopped short of a full-throated endorsement of contingency management, calling instead for further research. Mainstream forms of treatment and harm reduction also remain stigmatized or controversial.

New Jersey’s program, which relies on SAMHSA funding, awards a maximum of $75 per year. Compared to West Virginia’s program, patients were half as likely to submit drug tests showing they were abstinent, and completed half as many units of a behavioral health course offered in the DynamiCare app, according to a company white paper. And in West Virginia, nearly two-thirds of patients who enrolled in the program remained engaged six months later — a rate far higher than in New Jersey.

As a part of my Unity Agenda, we passed a law making it easier for doctors to prescribe effective treatments, leading to an unprecedented and historic expansion that finally put help within reach for millions of Americans. In August, Overdose Awareness Month, we commemorate the friends, family, and other loved ones we have lost to fatal overdose. And as the overdose crisis continues to worsen year after year, we use this month to raise awareness about the need for continued funding, programs, and evidence-based solutions to reduce overdose and save lives. Though there are multiple highly effective medications used to treat opioid addiction, there is no such option when it comes to meth or cocaine.