Purpose
- August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a global campaign to end overdose.
- Remember loved ones who have died from drug overdose and acknowledge the grief of those left behind.
- Encourage support and recovery for everyone impacted by substance use and overdose.
- End overdose by sharing prevention strategies.
Overdose awareness is important
Hashtags: #TogetherWeCan #IOAD2024 #EndOverdose
International Overdose Awareness Day is the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose.
The goals of International Overdose Awareness Day are to:
- Provide an opportunity for people to publicly mourn loved ones.
- Tell people who use drugs and people in recovery that they are valued.
- Inform people around the world about the risk of drug overdose.
- Provide basic information on the range of support services that are available.
- Prevent and reduce drug-related harms by supporting evidence-based practice.
This IOAD, we affirm that when we work together to heal and empower communities, we can save lives and end overdose.
Partner with us
Join us as an IOAD partner by using your voice and platforms to spread the message of ending overdose. This partner toolkit provides free resources for you to use, including key IOAD messages, social media content, and more. In addition to this toolkit, a campaign resources overview provides a list of materials available for download and print.
Examples of how to get involved include:
- Posting IOAD messages using the hashtags #TogetherWeCan, #IOAD2024, and #EndOverdose on social media.
- Sharing IOAD digital content, web features, and materials online.
- Using the sample articles to share IOAD information with communities and healthcare providers in newsletters, emails, and other partner communications.
- Downloading free educational materials and participating in interactive trainings for patients and health care providers.
- Educating communities and healthcare providers at meetings, health fairs, conferences, and other events.
Who should use this toolkit
General audiences and media
This year for IOAD, CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Using data from CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), investigators examined characteristics of individuals who died of a drug overdose in 2022 and had any reported mental health disorder (MHD) in 44 jurisdictions.
In the analysis, more than 1 in 5 people who died of a drug overdose had a reported non-substance-related MHD. The most common disorders were depressive (13%) and anxiety (9%). Approximately one quarter of people who died with a non-substance-related MHD had at least one recent potential opportunity for intervention (e.g., emergency department visit).
Drug overdose deaths remain a public health crisis in the United States; 2022 marked the second consecutive year with over 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. People with mental health conditions are at increased risk for overdose. Substance use disorders (SUDs) and other MHDs frequently occur together, which also increases the risk of overdose. Decreasing stigma and other barriers to seeking and receiving care for all MHDs, including SUDs, could save lives and improve mental health. To help prevent fatal overdoses, health care and public health professionals can build upon efforts to identify and treat patients who have SUDs and other MHDs, such as integrated screening and treatment, and strengthened local harm reduction services, including naloxone distribution.
Read the full report.
How to recognize an overdose
Recognizing an overdose can be difficult. If you aren't sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life. Administer naloxone, if it's available, and call 911 immediately. Do not leave the person alone. Signs of an overdose may include:
- Small, constricted "pinpoint pupils"
- Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
- Slow, weak, or no breathing
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Limp body
- Cold and/or clammy skin
- Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
Lifesaving naloxone
Naloxone can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, illegally made fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and prescription opioid medications. Often given as a nasal spray, naloxone is safe and easy to use.
Anyone can carry naloxone, give it to someone experiencing an overdose, and potentially save a life.
Reminder
Healthcare professionals
CDC's naloxone resources for healthcare professionals are designed to provide an overview of naloxone and provide strategies that can be implemented in your practice.
Studies show that naloxone may not always be offered when risk factors are present, such as taking higher doses of opioids, prescriptions for benzodiazepines in addition to opioids, or history of overdose.
Clinicians can:
- Educate patients and their caregivers on factors that increase the risk for overdose.
- Raise awareness about the benefits and availability of naloxone.
- Encourage patients who are at risk and their caregivers to carry naloxone.
- Explain how and when to administer naloxone.
- Highlight the importance of follow-up care for overdose.
CDC created a suite of naloxone materials and tools to support your efforts to discuss naloxone with patients. These tools can help clinicians inform patients, families, and/or caregivers about the value of naloxone in a non-stigmatizing manner.
- Factsheets and Conversation Starters Information on naloxone for a variety of audiences ranging from clinicians to patients.
- Naloxone Training Includes modules that are eligible for free continuing education and interactive patient cases.
- An Addiction Medicine Toolkit is also available to support clinicians who are working with their patients to treat or manage substance use disorder or opioid use disorder.
CDC released the 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain. CDC developed resources and trainings for healthcare professionals to assist with implementing the guidance in their practices. We continuously develop materials so please check back periodically to see what is new.
Sample content
Use our suggested X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn copy to spread the word. Schedule content to remind your networks about International Overdose Awareness Day.
Use #TogetherWeCan #IOAD2024 and #EndOverdose to join the conversation and tag us at @CDCInjury on X (Twitter)! Additional graphics are available in campaign resources.
For general audiences
X (Twitter) Posts
Aug 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a day to remember those lost to #overdose, acknowledge the grief of loved ones left behind, and empower communities to #EndOverdose injury & death: https://bit.ly/4dQGyPK
International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31) is right around the corner. Overdose is a problem we can solve together. Use CDC resources to empower your community with the tools to #EndOverdose: https://bit.ly/4cvLyrL
International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug 31) is next week. #TogetherWeCan honor those we've lost from drug #overdose and work to #EndOverdose through healing and empowering our communities: https://bit.ly/4fNXwQl
Facebook Post
Nearly 108,000 American lives were lost to drug overdose in 2022. On this International Overdose Awareness Day, we:
• Honor those we’ve lost from drug overdose.
• Encourage healing through treatment & recovery.
• Empower communities to build prevention capacity.
Together we can end overdose: https://bit.ly/3AxzusK
Instagram Post
Nearly 108,000 American lives were lost to drug overdose in 2022.
On International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31), together we can honor those we've lost, encourage healing through treatment & recovery, and empower communities to #EndOverdose by sharing prevention strategies.
Click the link in our bio to learn how to stop overdose and save lives in your community.
#IOAD24
*Add this suggested link to your bio. You can also make this into an Instagram Story and directly add the link there.
For healthcare professionals
LinkedIn Posts
Clinicians: We know that you put your patients' overall health and safety first. If you prescribe opioids for pain, consider also prescribing naloxone.
Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose when given in time. On this Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31), CDC resources can help you promote the benefits of naloxone, reduce stigma associated with its use, and get it in the hands of those who need it most: https://bit.ly/3WVLs6S
Do your patients know that it takes as little as a week to lose tolerance to #opioids? When you collaborate with patients about how and when to taper opioid use, you can help to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
In preparation for this year's International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31), dedicate time for building collaborative relationships with your patients and help end overdose: https://bit.ly/3SXk878
CDC's Addiction Medicine Toolkit provides education to clinicians on substance use disorders (SUDs), levels of care within SUD treatment, and building collaborative patient relationships.
August 31st marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). This year, commit to improving care for your patients with SUDs: https://bit.ly/4cwJpw8
Include our sample content in email or print newsletters or other communications channels, including updates to staff, provider networks, associations, and community-based communications efforts.
For general audiences
Subject Line: International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, 2024
Title: CDC Report Highlights Link Between Overdose and Mental Health
August 31st marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose. This is a day for us to remember those who have died from drug overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. We encourage you to use this occasion to raise awareness and to help spread the hope of recovery and to end overdose. This year for IOAD, CDC released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Reported Non–Substance-Related Mental Health Disorders Among Persons Who Died of Drug Overdose — United States, 2022.
Using data from CDC's State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), investigators examined characteristics of people who died of a drug overdose in 2022 and had any reported mental health disorder (MHD) in 44 jurisdictions. In the analysis, more than 1 in 5 people who died of a drug overdose had a reported mental health disorder (MHD). The most frequently reported MHDs were depressive (13%), anxiety (9%), and bipolar (6%) disorders. Approximately one quarter of people who died with an MHD had at least one recent potential opportunity for intervention (e.g., an emergency department visit).
As we recognize International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) 2024, we reflect upon the impact overdose has had on our communities—remembering those we have lost and empowering each other to work together to prevent future overdoses. Decreasing stigma and other barriers to seeking and receiving care for all MHDs, including substance use disorders (SUDs), could save lives and improve mental health. To help prevent fatal overdoses, health care and public health professionals can build upon efforts to identify and treat patients who have SUDs and other MHDs, such as integrated screening and treatment and strengthened local harm reduction services, including naloxone distribution.
On this IOAD, remind your networks about the importance of overdose awareness and prevention. Through healing and empowering our communities, together we can save lives and end overdose.
You can make an impact by sharing our overdose prevention work and resources with colleagues, partners, and loved ones this International Overdose Awareness Day. We invite you to help share our message that drug overdose is preventable.
Resources
Stigma: Beyond the Numbers | Stop Overdose | CDC
Helping Stop Overdose | Stop Overdose | CDC
Lifesaving Naloxone | Stop Overdose | CDC
Fentanyl Facts | Stop Overdose | CDC
Overdose Prevention | Overdose Prevention | CDC
Overdose Prevention for Health Care Providers | Overdose Prevention | CDC