Overdose Awareness Day is August 31

This International Overdose Awareness Day, Hikma Community HealthTM recognizes the great work of our partners across the country who help our communities address the opioid epidemic.

We have seen our partners …1

  • … bring harm reduction to more places, including music festivals, downtowns, and schools.
  • … expand naloxone prescribing and point-of-care distribution.
  • … build new coalitions in their communities.
  • … bring harm reduction to the most vulnerable members of our society.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a chance to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma associated with drug-related deaths.2 It’s a time to reflect on and acknowledge the grief of those who have lost loved ones to opioid overdose.2 It is a tragic reminder of our struggles with the opioid epidemic and illicitly manufactured fentanyl.2,3

Fentanyl overdose is the number one cause of death for people ages 18 to 45 in America today.4 More than 100,000 people died of an overdose in the United States in the 12-month period ending in March 2022.5

We understand our responsibility to make life-saving medications like Kloxxado® available to those in need. That’s why we are committed and grateful to our partners across the country distributing Kloxxado® or any naloxone medication. We’re proud to share that, across our >40 donation partners, we have donated >375,000 doses of Kloxxado® since it launched two years ago.1

To all of our partners: thank you for all the incredible work that you do to save lives in your community.

The opioid epidemic affects communities all across America.6 If you or someone you know is at risk, it’s important to know that you are not alone. If you need help, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit www.samhsa.gov. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988.

Kloxxado® is a registered trademark of Hikma Specialty USA Inc.

Hikma Community HealthTM is a trademark of Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

NOTE: This article was not written by a medical professional and is not intended to substitute for the guidance of a physician. These are not Hikma’s recommendations, but rather facts and data collected from various reliable medical sources. For a full list of resources and their attributing links, see below.

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References

  1. Data on file. Hikma Specialty USA Inc.
  2. International Overdose Awareness Day: 31st August. International Overdose Awareness Day/Pennington Institute website. Available at: https://www.overdoseday.com/. Accessed July 27, 2023.
  3. What is Fentanyl? Infographic. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse website. Available at: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/what-fentanyl. Accessed July 27, 2023.
  4. Fentanyl overdoses become no. 1 cause of death among US adults, ages 18-45: ‘A national emergency’ Fox News website. Available at: https://www.foxnews.com/us/fentanyl-overdoses-leading-cause-death-adults. Accessed July 27, 2023.
  5. Drug Overdose Death Rates. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse website. Available at: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates. Accessed July 27, 2023.
  6. Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm#print. Accessed July 27, 2023.