(International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31) – Local communities in the Southern 7 Region and around the world are coming together to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to a drug overdose. Observed on the 31st of August every year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) seeks to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use.
On August 31, Southern 7 Health Department (S7HD) will offer free NARCAN Training to anyone 13 and older at its Wellness on Wheels (WOW) Van Event in Cairo. The event, sponsored by Smoky Hill BBQ, will be held from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM and from 1:00 – 4:00 PM at 3811 Sycamore Street across from the former Subway Restaurant. This is one of several NARCAN Training events being held throughout the region by Southern 7 in August.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s most recent World Annual Drug Report, nearly half a million people around the world died as a result of drug use in 2019. In 2020, opioid deaths among Illinois residents increased 33% from 2,219 deaths in 2019 to 2,944 deaths in 2020.
“An overdose can happen to anyone at any age, and most of the time happens at home,” said Shawnna Rhine, S7HD Community Outreach Coordinator. “Many deaths could be avoided if families simply had NARCAN in their first aid kits.”
In 2021, despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, the world united to hold hundreds of IOAD events of all kinds in at least 37 countries – a phenomenal result. People and communities come together annually to raise awareness of one of the world’s most urgent public health crises – one that, unfortunately, is only getting worse.
Early statistics and anecdotal evidence for the 2021 calendar year show that the situation is becoming ever-more critical, exacerbated in many areas by the pandemic decreasing the tolerance of people who use drugs and disrupting both services and the drug supply chain.
A full list of the IOAD 2022 events currently planned around the world is displayed at: https://www.overdoseday.com/activities-2022/. International Overdose Awareness Day is convened by Penington Institute, an Australian not-for-profit.
For a full list of Southern 7 NARCAN Training events on the WOW Van, visit Southern 7 Health Department on Facebook or call 618-634-2297.
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