Category: International Overdose Awareness Day

(Translation into most languages at tab to the right)

No one can recover from addiction if they have died from an overdose.

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose. It is a day to raise awareness about the risks of overdose, honor the individuals whose lives have been lost, and acknowledge the grief felt by families, friends, and the community

With synthetic drugs made from chemicals in China and added into illicit drugs around the world, the need has never been more urgent to alert us all to the risk of overdose facing millions of people worldwide. What can we do to help prevent further loss of lives for those already struggling with addiction?

Prof. Dan Lubman (Australia) shared a thought that stuck in my mind because it brought up memories of conversations I had with my son while he was addicted. Instead of asking, “Why are you taking drugs?” A more engaging question would be, “What put you in this vulnerable position?”

This question shows the understanding that addiction is not just a matter of choice or will-power but that it is a complex problem that will not be helped with simplistic answers such as “Just Say No.” When a person feels less stigma, that they are not being judged, and that there is hope for them, they are increasingly likely to consider treatment.

So, what does put people into the vulnerable position where drugs/alcohol are helping them cope with life? The 5 main factors that contribute to addiction are:
genetics, mental illness, home and social environment, stress, trauma/abuse.
We can’t do anything about our genes although if you know there is alcoholism/addiction in your family tree there is need for extra awareness and precautions. Mental illness once recognized and diagnosed properly, can be treated with therapy, education, and medication. Home and social environments, stress, and trauma and abuse are absolutely within parents, extended family, and society’s control. This is where raising our children as “a village” is so important, but it is in peril with our upwardly-mobile lifestyles of frequently moving house, not enough time together, and not engaging with our community. Educating our families and involvement in healthy and safe support networks such as service organizations and faith and school communities are a good place to start.

Once someone is using substances to self-medicate, what can we do? First, we need to look for, and reach out to, people struggling with addiction. There may be some in your circle of friends – even in affluent communities. If we truly understand that those individuals will shrivel in shame from stigma, we can start by changing how we speak about them and to them – we’ve changed our language for things a lot less deadly. Building trust over time is critical to someone feeling they can openly discuss their problems. We can find out more about what is being done in our community to support recovery efforts and get involved with clean needle exchanges, Narcan training and distribution, opioid substitution therapy, food distribution, safe injection and health facilities, etc.

In a report from Norway discussing housing for people who are addicted, Jon Storaas, manager of RIO, an organization in Norway working to help substance abusers, said, “We need to provide residences to ensure that addicts can live with neighbors who don’t share their drug problems…meet with them, talk about their problems…this kind of experience and openness can strip people of their ordinary prejudices. You need to create these encounters so people can see that drug addicts are human, too. Extreme examples of ordinary people, you might say. But ordinary nevertheless.” (1)

In 2018 Time reported that in the 1990’s, Portugal was in the grip of heroin addiction. An estimated 1% of the population—bankers, students, socialites—were hooked on heroin and Portugal had the highest rate of HIV infection in the entire EU. But in 2001, Portugal took a radical step. It became the first country in the world to decriminalize the consumption of all drugs… while drug dealers still go to prison.

The results? The drug-induced death rate has plummeted to five times lower than the EU average and stands at one-fiftieth of the United States’. Its rate of HIV infection has dropped dramatically. Drug use has declined overall among 15-24 yr-olds, those most at risk of initiating drug use. And, by eliminating the threat of criminal penalties—and along with it, a great deal of stigma—it has become easier for people to seek treatment.

“What America and other countries can learn from Portugal is to treat people with more dignity.” Portugal has showed that, without spending significant sums, governments can give drug users the tools to put their lives back on track. But to do so, it will have to stop treating them like criminals. (2)

Ultimately, what IOAD is about, what this blog is about, is Awareness: Becoming aware of a problem is the first step towards solving that problem. For this August 31st, I want to remember all those who have died from drug or alcohol overdose, my son included. Remember that they were precious individuals who were loved by their parents, family, friends and God. And although we live in a world where death is something that happens to every person who is born, premature and preventable death is a tragedy that each and every one of us should work diligently to prevent. Let’s find our arena and fight for the lives of those we love.

No one can recover from addiction if they have died from an overdose.

(1)

Addicts Want Sober Neighbours by Georg Mathisen
Saturday 11. January 2014, Norway
https://sciencenorway.no/addiction-drug-rehab-drug-use/addicts-want-sober-neighbours/1395274

(2)

WANT TO WIN THE WAR ON DRUGS? PORTUGAL MIGHT HAVE THE ANSWER By Naina Bajekal | Photos by Gonçalo Fonseca – August 1, 2018
https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/