In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a research article on nonfatal drug and polydrug overdoses treated in emergency departments. The study included data from 29 states between 2018-2019, including other states in the Midwest. Researchers found that in 2019, opioids were involved in 40 percent of all suspected nonfatal drug overdoses. Additionally, the report says that opioids also had substantial co-involvement in cocaine, amphetamine and benzodiazepine overdoses. The rates of suspected nonfatal overdoses involving co-involving opioids and amphetamines increased 37.3 percent from 2018 to 2019 and in 2019, 23.6 percent, 17.1 percent, and 18.7 percent of suspected nonfatal overdoses involving cocaine, amphetamine and benzodiazepines, respectively. The findings support the importance of continued surveillance to better inform overdose prevention efforts.
The Hope Academy is a high school for students in recovery with substance use disorder and is the only one of its kind in Indiana. Fifteen years ago, as part of Fairbanks Hospital the Hope Academy opened near Community North. The Hope Academy has relocated near the University of Indianapolis campus in hopes of making the school more accessible and centralized for its students. This semester, the school accepted 23 new students. The school maintains a small capacity of 75 students and provides an intimate learning environment and the development of a tight-knit recovery community. To date, approximately 750 students have attended the school with 92 percent of graduates being accepted into higher education programs. If you are interested in learning more about the Hope Academy, visit https://www.hopeacademyrhs.org/ .
When launched in 2017, one of the primary goals for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Rx Awareness campaign was to increase awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous. In 2019, this campaign expanded messaging to include stories from audiences that have been heavily impacted by the opioid overdose epidemic. This expansion includes pregnant women, veterans, younger adults (ages 25-to-34), older adults (ages 45-to-54), and American Indians/Alaska Natives. The CDC developed new testimonials and materials for states to help them in their efforts to reach these heavily affected groups. State and local health departments and community organizations can use the Rx Awareness campaign materials and resources to launch campaigns, support local prevention activities, and raise awareness about the risks of prescription opioids.
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