President Obama officially proclaimed September 18 through September 24, 2016 Opioid Epidemic Awareness Week on Friday.
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The statement was made during an official proclamation by Barack Obama, as a reaffirmation of his continuous pledge to educate Americans and raise awareness among them about substance abuse and addiction.
The president encourages all Americans to observe the week with ceremonies, programs and activities to acknowledge the epidemic and let more people know about it, the Bradenton Herald reports. The industry will run TV and radio spots to bring awareness to prescription drug and heroin abuse.
The education efforts are part of National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week.
Since 1999, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescription opioid pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl, has almost quadrupled. The consequences are devastating.
The number of deadly overdoses from those drugs has nearly quadrupled in the past 17 years.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the number of drug overdose deaths to be at 28,000 in 2014, the highest on record. At least half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.
For this week the White House is hosting parents who have lost children to drug abuse and addiction.
Martinez and others plan to announce an initiative Monday aimed at increasing the use of naloxone – a drug that reverses the effects of a heroin or opioid overdose – by New Mexico law enforcement officers.
President Obama has called on Congress to approve $1.1 billion in new funding to fight the epidemic.
New Hampshire’s leaders have admitted that opioids are a big problem in the state, and hope that the president’s announcement will boost treatment and recovery services in order for the epidemic to begin easing up. More than 400 people died from overdoses in 2015 and overdose deaths appear likely to reach a similar number in 2016.
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The initiative was formed past year by U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez and New Mexico Health Sciences Center Chancellor Dr. Paul Roth.
