Awareness campaigns prevent drug overdoses, save lives

Guest column

International Overdose Awareness Day, Saturday, Aug. 31, is the most extensive annual campaign to end overdose. The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which has impacted every community. Too many families have lost loved ones, but this campaign and others like it can save lives.

According to the CDC, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023—fortunately, a decrease of 3% from 2022. This has been the first national annual decrease since 2018. However, synthetic opioids continue to be involved in three-quarters of all overdose deaths across the nation.