The overdose epidemic has taken a toll on far too many Americans and their loved ones. Addiction is a disease that touches families in every community. The epidemic is national, but the impact is personal. It is personal to the millions who confront substance use disorder every day, and to the families who have lost loved ones to an overdose. In recent years, we have seen synthetic opioids, such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl, drive many overdose deaths with cocaine- and methamphetamine-related deaths also increasing at alarming rates. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the overdose epidemic, as necessary pandemic restrictions made it harder for individuals with addiction to receive the treatment and support services they need. These factors contributed to the more than 93,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020. As a Nation, we need a strong response to America’s overdose epidemic and an investment in prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services, as well as strategies to reduce the supply of illicit drugs.
What is an Opioid?
The Cold, Hard Truth
In 2021, 107,622 lives were lost in the United States due to a drug overdose. This is an average of nearly 295 people per day. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45.
Fentanyl
How Did this Opioid Problem Get to my Community?
What is Being Done to Curb this Epidemic?
What Can You Do?
- Opioids are a class of drugs that includes the illegal drug heroin as well as power pain relievers available by prescription, such as oxycodone (Oxycontin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine, fentanyl, methadone, and many others.· Opioids bind to mu-opioid receptors on the nerve cells in the brain and body to reduce pain and suppress coughs when used legitimately, but can also cause intense euphoria or intense high that can lead to dependence and/or addiction, whether the drug ingested is heroin or a legally prescribed drug.
- The effects of opioids, particularly their rewarding, euphoric effects, are accentuated most when the drugs are delivered rapidly into the brain, thereby causing users “chasing the high” to snort or inject crushed prescription pills or heroin.
- Opioid overdose effects include severe depression of the respiratory system, potentially causing respiratory arrest, coma, and death. Opioid dependence and withdrawal is characterized by constricted nausea, mental confusion, drowsiness, severe sweats and constipation.
- Fentanyl, an opioid that is practically and effectively 50 and 100 times more potent than heroin or prescription opioids, is often used to adulterate heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other “street drugs.” Overdose deaths often result from a user’s unwitting purchase and use of fentanyl when believing he or she is purchasing heroin or prescription pills. Fentanyl derivatives such as carfentanil, which is used to anesthetize elephants, is also being used to adulterate heroin, causing cluster overdose deaths.
- Discussion of opioid prevention, treatment, enforcement, and deterrence in your community should address illicit drugs and prescription drugs, as opioids in all forms are present across the nation.
The Cold, Hard Truth
In 2021, 107,622 lives were lost in the United States due to a drug overdose. This is an average of nearly 295 people per day. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45.
- Of this total, approximately 66% of overdose deaths were attributable to opioids.
- The increase in drug overdose deaths is being driven by illicit fentanyl. It is the most dangerous drug threat facing our nation.
- Illicit fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid that is being mixed into heroin, cocaine, and other street drugs.
Fentanyl
- Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. Fentanyl is approximately 100 times more powerful than morphine, the substance to which heroin metabolizes, and is commonly used as an end of life sedative or during operational anesthesia.
- Fentanyl has historically been marketed for end-stage cancer treatment and applied via patches on the skin. Illicit fentanyl now appears in powder form, and is often visually indistinguishable by law enforcement.
- Fentanyl appears in fake tablets, pills, and gel capsules attempting to mimic certain prescription drugs. Drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse.
- It only takes a very small dose of fentanyl, 2 milligrams, to be lethal. By comparison, a sweetener packet found on a restaurant tabletop generally contains 1,000 milligrams per packet.
- Drug abusers, law enforcement officers, first responders, or family members who are unaware of its presence or lethality can be inadvertently exposed to fentanyl.
How Did this Opioid Problem Get to my Community?
- Opioids, particularly diverted prescription drugs, often enter the community through the family medicine cabinet, theft and robbery of local pharmacies, and through fraudulent prescriptions.
- Heroin, fentanyl, and fake prescriptions drugs are also sold by drug trafficking organizations and street gangs already operating in a community.
- Additionally, many opioids can be purchased via the Internet; social media sites such as Facebook, Google, and Craigslist, among others; as well as a myriad of sites on the Dark Web. They are then shipped discreetly via commercial parcel delivery carriers such as the U.S. Post Office, FedEx, DHL, or UPS.
What is Being Done to Curb this Epidemic?
- The government at all levels—career public servants, law enforcement, and public health officials—have partnered with educators, treatment professionals, and non-profit organizations, to bring awareness and develop strategies and solutions for your community.
- Strategies include targeted and proactive drug law enforcement activity to dismantle the trafficking organizations; prevention programs and drug awareness and education campaigns; and intervention and treatment options that address the short and long-term health of addicts and recovering addicts.
- Countless local, tribal, and regional efforts, tailored to the specific needs of a community, are underway and supported by national and international efforts which focus on various parts of this problem.
- In September 2021, DEA launched the One Pill Can Kill enforcement effort and public awareness campaign to combat the fake pill threat and educate the public about the dangers of fentanyl pills being disguised and sold as prescription medications, despite these pills not containing any of the actual medications advertised. More information can be found at www.dea.gov/onepill.
What Can You Do?
- Have a meaningful conversation with your family. Reject the notion that “it can’t happen to you or your family.” Talk aloud about the threat opioid abuse brings to your family. Commit to asking the tough questions. You can use the DEA resource “What Every Parent and Caregiver Needs to Know About Fake Pills.” to help start the conversation
- Invest in your family and community’s future. Many intensely affected regions routinely host public forums, town halls, prevention activities at schools, community vigils, walks, and fun runs. Get involved and participate.
- Speak up. Contact law enforcement when you suspect drug-related activity in your neighborhood. Successful policing relies on a whole-community approach to identify and bring drug trafficking organizations to justice.
- Keep any prescription drugs in your house secure and locked away, out of reach of others.
- Take advantage of national or local take back days sponsored by law enforcement or your local pharmacy to discard any unneeded drugs.
Articles
Opioid Facts - Department of Justice
Facts about opioids from the Department of Justice.
Opioid And Fentanyl Awareness Initiative
There exists a drug crisis gripping our nation with people dying every day from prescription drug overdoses. These are the deaths of moms and dads, sisters and brothers, grandchildren, neighbors and co-workers. As such, the Justice Department is taking steps to raise awareness of this nationwide epidemic that now claims more lives in the United States than car accidents.
National Prevention Week
National Prevention Week, observed annually in May, is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health.
It Only Takes A Little to Lose A Lot - Rx Awareness Campaign
The Rx Awareness campaign tells the real stories of people whose lives were torn apart by prescription opioids. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous.
Opioids Epidemic Practical Toolkit: Helping Faith and Community Leaders Bring Hope and Healing to Our Communities
This toolkit, developed by the HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, contains practical steps your organization can take to bring hope and healing to the millions suffering the consequences of opioid abuse disorder.
How Can Prescription Drug Misuse Be Prevented?
Physicians, their patients, and pharmacists all can play a role in identifying and preventing non-medical use of prescription drugs.
Informational Materials and Resources to Prevent Addiction Related to Youth Sports Injuries - PDF
This report highlights informational materials and resources from federal and non-federal entities that can be used to help educate individuals about the opioids, prevent the development of opioid use disorder, and find help for youth and their families who are seeking treatment for substance or opioid use disorders. It is imperative to ensure that youth, their families, and healthcare providers are fully aware of the risks of prescription opioid use and are informed about the appropriate use of opioids and non-opioid alternatives, when appropriate. Doing so can help prevent opioid misuse and avoid a potential path to addiction.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are state-run electronic databases used to track the prescribing and dispensing of controlled prescription drugs to patients. Learn more about PDMPs and find related resources.
Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT)
CAPT promotes the application of prevention science to advance state, tribal, jurisdictional, and community efforts to address substance use and misuse.
Operation Prevention
The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention's mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom.
Facts about opioids from the Department of Justice.
Opioid And Fentanyl Awareness Initiative
There exists a drug crisis gripping our nation with people dying every day from prescription drug overdoses. These are the deaths of moms and dads, sisters and brothers, grandchildren, neighbors and co-workers. As such, the Justice Department is taking steps to raise awareness of this nationwide epidemic that now claims more lives in the United States than car accidents.
National Prevention Week
National Prevention Week, observed annually in May, is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health.
It Only Takes A Little to Lose A Lot - Rx Awareness Campaign
The Rx Awareness campaign tells the real stories of people whose lives were torn apart by prescription opioids. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous.
Opioids Epidemic Practical Toolkit: Helping Faith and Community Leaders Bring Hope and Healing to Our Communities
This toolkit, developed by the HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, contains practical steps your organization can take to bring hope and healing to the millions suffering the consequences of opioid abuse disorder.
How Can Prescription Drug Misuse Be Prevented?
Physicians, their patients, and pharmacists all can play a role in identifying and preventing non-medical use of prescription drugs.
Informational Materials and Resources to Prevent Addiction Related to Youth Sports Injuries - PDF
This report highlights informational materials and resources from federal and non-federal entities that can be used to help educate individuals about the opioids, prevent the development of opioid use disorder, and find help for youth and their families who are seeking treatment for substance or opioid use disorders. It is imperative to ensure that youth, their families, and healthcare providers are fully aware of the risks of prescription opioid use and are informed about the appropriate use of opioids and non-opioid alternatives, when appropriate. Doing so can help prevent opioid misuse and avoid a potential path to addiction.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are state-run electronic databases used to track the prescribing and dispensing of controlled prescription drugs to patients. Learn more about PDMPs and find related resources.
Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT)
CAPT promotes the application of prevention science to advance state, tribal, jurisdictional, and community efforts to address substance use and misuse.
Operation Prevention
The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention's mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom.
Organizations
Victoria's Voice Foundation
Victoria Siegel died from a drug overdose on June 6, 2015, at just 18 years old. She was one of 129 Americans who lost their lives to a drug overdose that same day.
Since then, a staggering number of families across the United States have lost a loved one to overdose. In fact, nearly 300 people die from a drug overdose every single day in this country. This needs to change.
Help us save lives by supporting our mission to advance initiatives, achieve policy changes, amplify education, assure critical resources and applaud like-minded organizations to address drug abuse in order to save lives.
Fentanyl Fathers
Their mission is to establish a world where no adolescent succumbs to fentanyl poisoning or overdose, by raising awareness in America about the dangers of fentanyl, counterfeit pills, and effective overdose response measures.
Addiction Recovery Care
We provide caring addiction treatment for our clients. The finest addiction treatment centers in Kentucky. Passport Health Plan. Anthem. WellCare. Medicaid Accepted.
Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA)
Allied Against Opioid Abuse is a national education and awareness initiative to help prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription opioids. Our goal is to contribute to solving the opioid crisis in a meaningful way by educating patients about the rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioids.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Lead federal agency focused on improving the safety and quality of the nation's healthcare system. Invests in research to understand how to make healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. Develops resources, tools, and data to help healthcare professionals, policymakers, and consumers make informed health decisions.
Victoria Siegel died from a drug overdose on June 6, 2015, at just 18 years old. She was one of 129 Americans who lost their lives to a drug overdose that same day.
Since then, a staggering number of families across the United States have lost a loved one to overdose. In fact, nearly 300 people die from a drug overdose every single day in this country. This needs to change.
Help us save lives by supporting our mission to advance initiatives, achieve policy changes, amplify education, assure critical resources and applaud like-minded organizations to address drug abuse in order to save lives.
Fentanyl Fathers
Their mission is to establish a world where no adolescent succumbs to fentanyl poisoning or overdose, by raising awareness in America about the dangers of fentanyl, counterfeit pills, and effective overdose response measures.
Addiction Recovery Care
We provide caring addiction treatment for our clients. The finest addiction treatment centers in Kentucky. Passport Health Plan. Anthem. WellCare. Medicaid Accepted.
Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA)
Allied Against Opioid Abuse is a national education and awareness initiative to help prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription opioids. Our goal is to contribute to solving the opioid crisis in a meaningful way by educating patients about the rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioids.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Lead federal agency focused on improving the safety and quality of the nation's healthcare system. Invests in research to understand how to make healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. Develops resources, tools, and data to help healthcare professionals, policymakers, and consumers make informed health decisions.
Programs
Family Treatment Court Program - This program serves parents and guardians who require treatment for a substance misuse disorder and who are involved with the child welfare system due to child abuse or neglect. Program goals are to strengthen parenting skills, to reduce incidents of child abuse and neglect resulting from addiction, and to provide services to the children affected.
Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program - This program supports treatment and services for youth with substance use problems. The courts work to strengthen family engagement, address the root problems that may cause substance use and addiction, and empower young people to lead drug-free and crime-free lives.
Mentoring for Youth Impacted by the Opioid Crisis and Drug Addiction – This program funds mentoring for substance-using youth and those at risk for misusing substances, as well as youth with family members who are currently misusing drugs. OJJDP supports local, regional, and national organizations as they strengthen and expand their mentoring services for vulnerable youth.
Opioid Affected Youth Initiative – The Opioid Affected Youth Initiative provides funding to states, local governments, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and Tribal jurisdictions to develop data-driven, coordinated responses to the opioid epidemic. Funding supports programs and services to youth and families impacted by both opioids and other substance use disorders. Learn more about the Initiative on the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative website.
Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program - This program supports treatment and services for youth with substance use problems. The courts work to strengthen family engagement, address the root problems that may cause substance use and addiction, and empower young people to lead drug-free and crime-free lives.
Mentoring for Youth Impacted by the Opioid Crisis and Drug Addiction – This program funds mentoring for substance-using youth and those at risk for misusing substances, as well as youth with family members who are currently misusing drugs. OJJDP supports local, regional, and national organizations as they strengthen and expand their mentoring services for vulnerable youth.
Opioid Affected Youth Initiative – The Opioid Affected Youth Initiative provides funding to states, local governments, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and Tribal jurisdictions to develop data-driven, coordinated responses to the opioid epidemic. Funding supports programs and services to youth and families impacted by both opioids and other substance use disorders. Learn more about the Initiative on the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative website.