Observe Overdose Awareness Day annually on August 31st. Remember people who have lost their lives to drug overdose on this special day. Raise awareness about the substance use crisis.
Overdose Awareness Day – Share a Tribute
Put a face on the overdose crisis by sharing a tribute and picture of someone lost to drug overdose. The Overdose Tribute remembers those who have passed away due to overdose. It also gives loved ones a chance to share pictures of them. At Personalized Cause, we believe that behind every cause is a person whose story must be told.
International Overdose Awareness Day works towards preventing overdose. In addition, this day reduces the stigma associated with it. International Overdose Awareness Day provides support to families and loved ones of overdose victims.
Medical professionals define overdose as the accidental or intentional use of a drug or a substance such as alcohol or a narcotic beyond the recommended dosage. An overdose can have serious consequences. Effects range from mild disorientation to seizures, brain injury, and death.
Why Was Overdose Awareness Day Established?
Australians Sally J. Finn and Peter Streker established Overdose Awareness Day in 2001. Its purpose was to commemorate those who have lost their lives to overdose. It also supports loved ones whose lives have been affected by drug abuse. Not only are lives lost, but families broken while dealing with addition and the loss of a loved one.
International Overdose Awareness Day’s spreads information about how to detect signs of substance abuse and overdose. In addition, it explains what to do when encountering a person who may be having an adverse reaction to a drug. Signs include disorientation, agitation, difficulty breathing, and vomiting. These signs should not be ignored.
Overdose is increasing a global problem. A 2014 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2014 report estimated that overdose occurs in approximately 183,000 people around the world every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States.
Due to this, a vast majority of overdose deaths occur due to opioid abuse. Opioids are a class of drugs that reduce the intensity of pain by interacting with proteins called opioids. Opioids are located in the human brain, spinal cord, and other organs. Opiates include substances like heroin, and legally prescribed medication such as oxycodone, codeine, and morphine.
Wear a Purple Awareness Pin for Drug Overdose Awareness
Wear a purple ribbon for drug overdose in memory of someone lost to drug addiction. Put a name and face on the loss with our personalized purple awareness pin. And, to learn more about the opioid crisis and the role and responsibility pharmaceutical companies had in creating this epidemic, please click here.
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