October marks National Substance Use Prevention Month, making it an ideal time to expand prevention messaging to reach as many people as possible. Amid the opioid epidemic, prevention and education campaigns have prevented overdose and addiction.
Local prevention and education campaigns throughout communities in Florida and reliable and current information about opioids make a real impact and save lives. Fentanyl and other opioids have created one of the worst drug problems in the United States.
Most people know it began with overprescribing prescription pain medications like OxyContin. Marketing campaigns advertised it as safe and effective, resulting in countless addictions and lives lost.
Since the 1990s, the opioid epidemic has gone in waves, beginning with prescription pain medication, then into a resurgence of heroin, and now illicitly-manufactured synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, have been driving a dramatic spike in overdose deaths.
In 2022, there were over 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in Florida. In 2023, deadly drug cocktails made up of xylazine and fentanyl are accounting for a significant increase in overdose deaths.
As opioids are the leading cause of overdose death in the United States, there are critical education and prevention messages that should be adapted to reach as many people as possible. For instance, fentanyl can be hidden in drugs.
Fentanyl is increasingly found in counterfeit prescription pain medication and looks almost identical to the real thing. These pills are commonly sold on social media platforms. Drug dealers use code words and emojis to advertise. Fentanyl is also found in heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Knowing what a person gets is nearly impossible unless they use a fentanyl test strip.
Mixing drugs always increases the chances of a fatal overdose, especially if one of those drugs contains fentanyl. Combining stimulants raises the risk of heart attack or stroke, while mixing opioids with other depressants rapidly slows breathing.
Naloxone saves lives and is available in all 50 states. It is given as a nasal spray and can reverse an opioid overdose. Finally, people in treatment and recovery need support to reduce the stigma attached to addiction and drug use. Showing compassion for people who use drugs and offering support during treatment and recovery reduces stigma.
It takes communities in Florida to come together to share prevention campaigns and related resources with people of all ages who use drugs. This will always be a practical approach to stop drug overdose and save lives.
Jody Boulay is a Community Outreach Coordinator for Addicted.org to help spread awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
