2023 THEME: Recognizing Those People Who Go Unseen #EndOverdose #IOAD
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), observed annually on August 31st, is a day to remember those we’ve lost to overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms. Everyone can play a role. Talk to your doctor if you or someone close to you needs help for substance use.
This year’s theme is, “Recognizing Those People Who Go Unseen.” Overdose touches people and communities in many ways. With the 2023 theme, we honor the people whose lives have been altered by overdose. They are the family and friends grieving the loss of a loved one; workers in healthcare and support services extending strength and compassion; or spontaneous first responders who selflessly assume the role of lifesaver.
This year, we would like to say to these people: #WeSeeYou
Theirs are the voices we should amplify, and their strength and experience should be held up as examples to us all. Too often, however, they are left to bear the burden of this crisis alone and in silence.
Source: overdoseday.com
For more IOAD events, visit: overdoseday.com
Opioids bind to specific receptors in the brain that reduce the transmission of pain signals throughout the body. Opioids include:
Source: Stopoverdose.org
What causes an overdose?
When there is too much opioid in the body, a person can lose consciousness and stop breathing – this is an overdose. An opioid overdose can happen suddenly or come on slowly over a few hours. Without oxygen, a person can die. Most opioid users (64-97%) report that they have witnessed at least one overdose. And often friends and family likely have concerns for opioid use. Recognizing and responding to the early signs of overdose can save the life of someone you love.
The risk of opioid overdose increases when a person is:
Source: Apa.org (American Psychological Association), Stopoverdose.org
Recognizing an overdose can be difficult. If you aren’t sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life. Call 911 immediately. Administer naloxone, if it’s available. Do not leave the person alone.
Look and listen for:
Try to wake them up:
IF THEY DON’T WAKE UP… ACT FAST!
Call 911.
Give naloxone if you have it.
Start rescue breathing.
Stay with them. Naloxone wears off in 30-90 minutes so they may stop breathing again.
Naloxone only works on opioids. Opioids are substances such as fentanyl, heroin, oxycontin/oxycodone and other opioid-based pain medications. Here are two ways you can get naloxone in Washington State:
To find Naloxone near you, use Naloxone Finder >>
Source: Prevent Overdose Washington
In WA State, anyone trying to help in a medical emergency is generally protected from civil liabilities by RCW 4.24.300. WA State’s 911 Good Samaritan Overdose Law RCW 69.50.315 gives additional, specific protections against drug possession charges:
Click on our “Naloxone” tab to learn more about Naloxone Laws.
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that temporarily stops the effect of opioids. This helps a person start to breathe again and wake up from an opioid overdose. Naloxone (the generic name) is also sold under the brand name Narcan®.
Naloxone:
In WA State, anyone who might have or witness an opioid overdose can legally possess and administer naloxone.
Source: Stopoverdose.org
National Harm Reduction Coalition – Find harm reduction resources near you.
VISIT: harmreduction.org
Stop Overdose – Resources for WA residents to respond to and prevent opioid overdose, and to find Naloxone.
VISIT: stopoverdose.org
The People’s Harm Reduction Alliance (PHRA) – Get Naloxone Delivered for FREE.
VISIT: phra.org/mail-order-naloxone
WA State Department of Health (WA DOH) – Information on overdose, naloxone, and where to find local syringe service programs.
VISIT: wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/DrugUserHealth
Naloxone is now available over the counter, and major pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and Rite Aid sell a 2-dose box for around $45. Not all pharmacies may have it in stock, so it’s best to contact them before you go to confirm availability.
Some health insurance plans may cover the cost or provide a discount since the $45 price may be a barrier for some people who want to buy the medication. People enrolled in Apple Health can get the kit for free, without a copay.
This option is ideal for those who may find in-person access challenging. Deliveries might take up to three weeks based on supply availability.
1. The Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group provides mail-order and walk-in access within King County. The mail-order program is meant for people who do not have insurance coverage or who can’t easily go to a community organization or a pharmacy to get a kit.
2. Visit the Washington Department of Health for regions outside King County.
To find naloxone near you, search the Washington State Naloxone Finder. Be sure to contact the chosen location to confirm availability.
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that temporarily stops the effect of opioids. This helps most people start to breathe again and wake up from an opioid overdose. Naloxone (the generic name) is also sold under the brand name Narcan®.
Naloxone:
In WA State, anyone who might have or witness an opioid overdose can legally possess and administer naloxone.
All of the naloxone products available are similarly effective against opioid overdose. A health care provider or pharmacist can help you select which product is best for you.
Possessing, using and distributing naloxone
WA State law RCW 69.41.095 allows anyone “at risk for having or witnessing a drug overdose” to obtain an opioid overdose medication and administer it in an overdose. This includes people who use opioids, family members, friends and professionals. WA State’s 2015 “Naloxone law” RCW 69.41.095 also permits naloxone to be prescribed directly to an “entity” such as a police department, homeless shelter or social service agency for staff to administer if they witness an overdose when performing their professional duties.
RCW 69.41.095 permits non-medical persons to distribute naloxone under a prescriber’s standing order.
Immunity from liability
Several laws in WA State (commonly called “Good Samaritan” laws) give certain protections to laypersons trying to assist in a medical emergency. RCW 4.24.300 provides immunity from civil liabilities when responding in a medical emergency. RCW 69.50.315 further protects both the overdose victim and the person assisting in an overdose from prosecution for drug possession.
Statewide Standing Order
Under the WA Statewide Standing Order anyone can go to a pharmacy that carries naloxone and obtain it without a prescription from their healthcare provider. Organizations can use the standing order to purchase naloxone to have on-site or for distribution.
“It’s a very real concern in King County, Washington. Three people a day are dying from a fentanyl overdose (in 2023). It’s stunning, we’ve never seen anything like this before,” said HIPRC associate member Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW.
King County is seeing an increase in illicit drugs that contain fentanyl. Between 2018-2020, King County saw a 164 percent increase in the number of fentanyl-involved deaths. As of October 2022, 710 overdose deaths (12 overdose deaths among people under the age of 18)had occurred in King County, WA, surpassing the total number of overdose deaths that occurred in 2021.
If your child is using fentanyl they could quickly develop addiction. There are excellent treatment medications, such as buprenorphine, that can be prescribed. These medicines support recovery and are extremely protective against overdose and death.
Find doctors who prescribe buprenorphine and learn more about effective treatment >>
You play an important role in keeping the teens in your life safe. Talk to them today about avoiding opioids like fentanyl, which can hurt them and their future. Find more information on how to spark a conversation with your teenager at WA Friends For Life >>
Source: Laced & Lethal; WA Friends for Life; WA Recovery Helpline; Learn About Treatment; King County Medical Examiner’s Office
Start a dialogue with your kids. Take a step back and have a more general conversation about pain, stress, medications, and basic messaging around pain & stress and how they are normal things that happen in life.
Build a list with your child on different things they can do when they feel pain or stress.
Some examples include:
Talk to your children about the consequences fentanyl-laced pills can have.
Why is fentanyl so dangerous?
Fentanyl is a very strong opioid. It’s tasteless, odorless, and an amount about the size of two grains of salt can cause overdose. It can be mixed into powders and counterfeit pills. You can’t tell if drugs contain fentanyl by look, taste, smell, or touch.
Focus the conversation on safety and drug use. Talk about how you as a parent or caregiver want them to be safe, instead of focusing on punishment for drug use.
Let them know it’s strongly advised they stop using, but if they do use it or are around people that do:
Look and listen for:
Call 911 immediately. Give Naloxone if you have it. Start rescue breathing.
Shining a Light on Opioid Overdose Prevention
Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC), UW Medicine’s Addictions, Drug, & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), and Safe Kids Seattle South King, in partnership with the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, are taking part in the second annual National Injury Prevention Day (NIPD) on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. Hospitals and trauma centers across the country will “shine a green light” on opportunities to prevent serious childhood injury.
In 2021, HIPRC and ADAI shared a new digital toolkit on teen opioid-use prevention. The toolkit, featured on this page, includes information for both teens and parents. Most importantly, there’s a unique section dedicated to how parents can initiate a conversation with their teens around opioid use.
To learn more about National Injury Prevention Day, visit: hiprc.org/nipd
To learn more about UW ADAI, visit: adai.uw.edu
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – National Family Summit on Fentanyl 2023
VISIT: dea.gov/familysummit
Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing – For those who have lost a loved one
VISIT: grasphelp.org
Learn 2 Cope – For families with loved ones who have a substance use disorder
VISIT: learn2cope.org
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) – List of worldwide events
VISIT: overdoseday.com
Find Support –
VISIT: FindSupport.gov or EncuentraApoyo.gov (Spanish)
Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator –
VISIT: findtreatment.samhsa.gov (search by address, city, or ZIP Code)
Buprenorphine Treatment Practitioner Locator –
VISIT: samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/physician-program-data/treatment-physicianlocatorsamhsa.gov (search by address, city, or ZIP Code)
Single State Agencies for Substance Abuse Services –
DOWNLOAD (PDF)
State Opioid Treatment Authorities –
VISIT: dpt2.samhsa.gov/regulations/smalist.aspx
Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths –
VISIT: cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic
Overdose Prevention and Response – Public Health—Seattle & King County is addressing the overdose epidemic by working with partners to prevent overdoses, increasing access to evidence-based treatment, and providing harm reduction services.
VISIT: kingcounty.gov
9 Facts About Fentanyl – We need a health approach to fentanyl.
VISIT: drugpolicy.org/drug-fact/fentanyl
DOWNLOAD (PDF)
DANCESAFE – Learn about Fentanyl Use and Overdose Prevention Tips
VISIT: dancesafe.org/fentanyl
Friends for Life – Friends for Life is a campaign to inform and educate people about: what illicit fentanyl is and why it is unpredictable; how to help teens avoid opioids like fentanyl; how to spot and respond to an opioid overdose; how to access and use naloxone (Narcan) in an emergency. Funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA).
VISIT: wafriendsforlife.com
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) – International Day of Awareness to remember a loved one who has struggled with overdose, connect or post on social media, and learn more about overdose prevention.
VISIT: overdoseday.com
Laced & Lethal – Source for information on pills and powders laced with fentanyl. Our mission is to provide critical tools that can help create a safer community for all: fentanyl education, access to confidential all-age naloxone distribution sites, overdose prevention resources, and overcoming stigma.
VISIT: lacedandlethal.com
National Harm Reduction Coalition – Working for the harm reduction movement. Building evidence-based strategies with and for people who use drugs.
VISIT: harmreduction.org
One Pill Can Kill – Share One Pill Can Kill materials with your friends, family, community, and workplace.
VISIT: dea.gov/onepill
Operation Prevention – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has joined forces with Discovery Education to provide no-cost online tools that support every member of the community with the power of prevention. Help kickstart life-saving conversations today with standards-aligned English & Spanish-language resources for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals.
VISIT: operationprevention.com
Opioid Overdose – Learn the warning signs of opioid overdose and how naloxone and medications for OUD treatment can help treat and prevent it.
VISIT: samhsa.gov
Parents Guide to Fentanyl – There is a significant risk for today’s generation because of fentanyl. It is a deadly hidden threat. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and the average person is unaware their drugs are laced with fentanyl. Parents, guardians, educators, and anyone responsible for children must rely on drug prevention education to safeguard children and teens from this growing threat.
VISIT: addicted.org/news/parents-guide-to-fentanyl
DOWNLOAD (PDF)
Partnership to End Addiction & Pluto TV – Untreated & Unheard: The Addiction Crisis in America
Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens – The nation’s first harm reduction-based drug education curriculum for high school students.
VISIT: drugpolicy.org/resource/safety-first
Song for Charlie – Illicit Fentanyl is dominating the drug landscape and causing record numbers of drug deaths in America, particularly among our Gen Z youth. Learn the facts about fentanyl and take empowered action to protect yourself and your loved ones.
VISIT: songforcharlie.org
Supporting Parents & Infants Affected by Substance Use
VISIT: perinatalharmreduction.org/learn-about-substance-use
Team Awareness Combating Overdose (TACO) – Drugs Edu (search by drug or topic)
VISIT: tacoinc.org/drugeducation
UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (UW ADAI) – formerly the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute, UW ADAI is a multidisciplinary research institute in the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences dedicated to advancing research, policy, and practice in order to improve the lives of individuals and communities affected by alcohol and drug use and addiction.
VISIT: adai.uw.edu
UW Medicine, Right as Rain – What Día de Muertos Can Teach Us About Healthy Grieving
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the U.S.
CALL: 988
VISIT: 988lifeline.org (English) or 988lifeline.org/es/servicios-en-espanol (Spanish)
Crisis Connections (formerly Crisis Clinic) – 24-hour crisis line
CALL: 1-866-427-4747
VISIT: crisisconnections.org
National Overdose Response Line – Meeting people where they are, on the other end of the line, one human connection at a time. No judgment. No Shaming, No Preaching, Just Love!
CALL: 1-800-484-3731
VISIT: neverusealone.com
Partnership to End Addiction – Get One-on-One Help to Address Your Child’s Substance Use. So many other parents and families have gone through the same challenges you’re facing now. We’re here to help.
TEXT CONNECT to 55753
SCHEDULE A CALL
EMAIL A SPECIALIST
VISIT: drugfree.org
SAMHSA’s National Helpline
CALL: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
TDD: 1-800-487-4889 (for hearing impaired)
VISIT: FindSupport.gov or EncuentraApoyo.gov (Spanish)
WA Recovery Helpline – 24-hour crisis help and referral line
CALL: 1-866-789-1511
VISIT: warecoveryhelpline.org
WA Teen Link – a help line for teens by teens
CALL: 1-866-833-6546
VISIT: teenlink.org
Buprenorphine Practitioner Locator – Find practitioners authorized to treat opioid dependency with buprenorphine by state.
VISIT: samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/find-treatment/treatment-practitioner-locator
FindTreatment.gov – the confidential and anonymous resource for persons seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders in the U.S. and its territories.
VISIT: findtreatment.samhsa.gov
Indian Health Service – The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives providing Opioid Stewardship.
VISIT: ihs.gov/opioids
Learn About Treatment – Information about treatments for opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder.
VISIT: learnabouttreatment.org
Teen Opioid Overdose Prevention – (PDF)
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How to talk to your child about fentanyl – (PNG) | (JPG)
Start a conversation with your child – (PNG) | (JPG)
If you know your child is using opioids – (PNG) | (JPG)
Know how to recognize an overdose – (PNG) | (JPG)
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How to… TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT FENTANYL
English – (PDF)| (JPG)
Cómo… HABLAR CON SU HIJO SOBRE EL FENTANILO
Spanish / Español – (PDF)| (JPG)
Как провести… ОБСУЖДЕНИЕ ФЕНТАНИЛА С ВАШИМ РЕБЁНКОМ
Russian / Pусский – (PDF)| (JPG)
Làm sao để… NÓI CHUYỆN VỚI CON QUÝ VỊ VỀ FENTANYL
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt – (PDF)| (JPG)
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National Injury Prevention Day 2021 – (PDF)