International Overdose Awareness Day
31st August 2024 marked International Overdose Awareness Day
In 2022, 4,907 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales. In 2022, the number of deaths due to cocaine in England and Wales increased for the 11th consecutive year.
What is an Overdose?
An overdose occurs when a person has more of a drug (or combination of drugs) in their body than the body can cope with. All drugs can cause an overdose, including medication prescribed by a doctor. Drug overdoses can be both fatal and non-fatal. Fatal overdoses – or overdose deaths – can be either intentional, unintentional (also known as accidental), or of undetermined intent.
What can we do?
To mark this day Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership are supporting Addiction Awareness Month in September 2024. This is a dedicated time to raise awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders. This month-long observance aims to reduce stigma, educate the public, and provide support to individuals and families affected by addiction.
How can I support individuals to prevent Overdose?
Throughout the year WSCP run a number of training courses to upskill our workforce on Drug and Alcohol misuse. These can be accessed via Multi-Agency Drugs and Alcohol Training – Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership.
Additionally, colleagues from Wirral Ways run regular training events which can be accessed via Wirral Ways Events – 5 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
All of these events are free of charge to attend, and provide vital skills to support people struggling with addiction, and prevent overdoses.
What other resources are there?
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSHA) have developed a toolkit as part of Addiction Awareness Month. The toolkit can be accessed here and includes resources for learning about and supporting those in recovery.
International Overdose Awareness day website has lots of information on overdose prevention solutions, global facts & statistics, and further information on the basics of overdose.