International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2022
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Tanya Giannotti, Public Relations
(217) 531-2925 /
International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st
CUPHD honors lives lost to drug overdose and its impact on community
CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) recognizes August 31st as International Overdose Awareness Day. International Overdose Awareness Day strives to honor the lives lost to drug overdose and its impact on victim’s friends, family, and the public at large.
In the United States, overdose-related deaths have been on the rise in the last two decades. Over 107,000 Americans died from a drug-related overdose in 2021. The opioid epidemic’s impact has also influenced these numbers. In Illinois, 3,494 individuals died from a drug-related overdose in 2021. In Champaign County, 41 people died from an opioid overdose in 2021. Considering these statistics, it’s important to note that for every reported overdose, there are countless others that go unreported.
On this day, CUPHD would also like to recognize the stigma associated with drug use and the negative effect it has on those with lived experience. In order to dismantle that stigma, overdose awareness and education are vital. At CUPHD, our Partnership to Reduce Opiate Mortality and Promote Training (PROMPT) Program strives to do just that by providing Narcan training, overdose prevention education, syringe exchange services, and more. For more information, contact our PROMPT program coordinator, Joe Trotter, at 217-531-5370.
For more information: https://www.c-uphd.org/syringe-exchange.html
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