According to the CDC, in the past 20 years, nearly 500,000 people have died from an opioid-related overdose. Half a million lives lost.
This is Public Health is brought to you in partnership with the Tuscarawas County Health Department.
While many believe that any life lost or cut too short is a tragedy, it can sometimes feel like the opioid problem is a far-off epidemic. On the contrary, it’s very much in our own backyard here in Tuscarawas County.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are drugs used to manage pain. They include both prescription drugs, like oxycodone, OxyContin, Vicodin, and Methadone, as well as illegal drugs, such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.
While prescription drugs are legal when prescribed by a doctor, they quickly turn addictive and sometimes deadly when misused. They can also be purchased illegally. Fentanyl is prescribed legally, but it is sometimes manufactured illegally using counterfeit pills, heroin, and cocaine.
Tuscarawas County & Opioids
The Tuscarawas County Health Department reports several deaths from opioid-related overdoses annually, beginning in 2013. In 2017 there was a significant spike in fentanyl-related deaths, which continues to be the fatal opioid in recent years.
Project DAWN
Project DAWN (Death Avoided with Naloxone), a network coordinated by the Ohio Dept. of Health, includes overdose education and naloxone distribution programs. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse the effects of opioids on the brain by blocking the overwhelming effects of opioids and allowing the victim to breathe again. It is a safe drug with no abuse potential and it can reverse the effects of opioids for 30-90 minutes, allowing time for medical help to arrive. As a resident of Ohio, the Naloxone kit and education provided by Project DAWN is available to you.
You can save a life by joining the Project DAWN network.
For more information on Project DAWN or to request your free Naloxone kit, visit http://www.tchdnow.org/project-dawn.html. You can also visit www.tchdnow.org or find them on Facebook for more information about the Tuscarawas County Health Department and their services.
Audrey Mattevi
Reporting