Today August 31, 2017, marks another International Overdose Awareness Day. According to overdoseday.com, this day “aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.” As recently mentioned in an article from Holly Conklin and Angel Intervention, overdose rates are on the rise as a result of overuse of Opioids, and the use of synthetics in Opioid cocktails.
Throughout the last few weeks, local Van Wert, Ohio Interventionist Holly Conklin and her team at Angel Intervention have been focusing on providing resources to those affected by overdose and overuse of Opioids. So today, on International Overdose Awareness Day we would like to take a moment to remember all those affected by this Opioid Epidemic Crisis.
In a local Ohio news article referencing overdose deaths a sad statistic is given “Dayton, like other American cities, has seen the synthetic opioid fentanyl flooding the community. In Ohio, it has sent the death toll surging. According to data from the Montgomery County coroner, 365 people died of drug overdoses from January through and May of this year; 371 people died of such causes in all of last year.”
Imagine being in a family where someone is abusing drugs without their loved ones finding out. Often, a member of the household could be abusing dangerous drugs like Opioids including heroin, and nobody in the house would know, by the time it becomes obvious the drug use is so far out of control it has become a serious addiction. For an Opiate user, each use is a risk to their life. Most addicted heroin users will abuse the drug multiple times per day. Many feel they are at no risk, and they have a tolerance, however one dose of an Opioid cocktail such as “Grey Death” can lead to overdose. Overdose in a family, especially when unexpected, can send a ripple through the entire network of friends and family, often even reaching large numbers in a community. According to Holly Conklin at Angel Intervention Services “So many parents never truly recover from the loss of a child”. There have been many large community gatherings and services in honor of the lives taken due to the Opioid overdoses. So, on International Overdose Awareness Day let us all take a moment to remember these 365 local deaths, and get educated on drug awareness and how to reach out for help if we know someone at risk of overdose.
There are many local resources to assist with gaining knowledge on drug addiction and on how to intervene in a loved ones’ drug use once discovered. Holly Conklin at Angel Intervention is a Certified Intervention Professional and has been working here in Van Wert, Ohio to battle the increasing overdose rates by offering local advice to families who are looking into drug rehab options or to intervene and confront drug users who are not willing to get help and all the consultations are free of charge. For today, for everyone who reads this, let’s think of anyone we know who is abusing drugs, especially Opiates, and try to formulate a plan to get them the help they need. For an addict, they may never reach out on their own, so it’s important family, friends and the entire community step up to combat this drug abuse epidemic. If you need more advice and information on Intervention and family support go to http://angelintervention.com. For those encountering crisis situations in relation to drug use or have worries of overdose happening at home, please call Angel Intervention right away at 1-800-430-2995. Let’s all work together to prevent as many overdose deaths as possible.
