Opioids are a diverse genus of highly potent, highly addictive, and relatively inexpensive drugs that includes opiates and fentanyl. Opioids have traditionally been prescribed as pain medication, as they are effective for treating acute pain but less so for chronic pain.
The purpose of National Opioid Awareness Day, which is observed on September 21, is to raise awareness about the effects of opioid toxicity and diminish the stigma associated with it. It aims to increase awareness of overdoses, lessen the stigma associated with drug-related fatalities, and recognize the grief felt by families and friends. The holiday is the American version of International Overdose Awareness Day, which was founded by S. J. Finn in 2001 in Australia. The movement is necessitated by the opioid abuse problem in the United States.
Opioids are a diverse genus of highly potent, highly addictive, and relatively inexpensive drugs that includes opiates and fentanyl. Opioids have traditionally been prescribed as pain medication, as they are effective for treating acute pain but less so for chronic pain. Opioids should only be used as a last resort for chronic pain in the absence of safer alternatives, according to clinical guidelines, as the risks of opioids frequently outweigh their benefits.The opioid epidemic in the United States is caused by the continued misuse of prescription and illicit narcotic medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the widespread abuse of opioids in the United States began in the late 1990s. This period witnessed an increase in opioid prescriptions for pain management, which led to an increase in the overall use of opioids in the years that followed. The majority of Americans who use prescription opioids for pain management deny that they abuse them.
Approximately 841,000 individuals died from drug overdoses between 1999 and 2020, with half of these deaths attributable to prescription and illicit opioids. In 2017, there were approximately 70,237 drug overdose fatalities, 47,600 of which involved an opioid. According to a December 2017 report, an estimated 130 individuals in the U.S. die every day from an opioid-related drug overdose.
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Opioids are available with a prescription, despite the fact that they are widely regarded as hazardous.
Even when accompanied by a prescription, opioids remain potentially harmful and hazardous.
Since the first wave of the opioid epidemic, more than 800,000 fatalities have been recorded in the United States.
Depression is one of the most prevalent effects of an opioid overdose.
Opioids bind to receptors in the nervous system and the brain, and as such are capable of leading to regular dependency and eventual addiction.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | September 21 | Thursday |
| 2024 | September 21 | Saturday |
| 2025 | September 21 | Sunday |
| 2026 | September 21 | Monday |
| 2027 | September 21 | Tuesday |
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