Friend, it’s International Overdose Awareness Day. Today and always, we remember the precious lives lost and continue our fight for lifesaving solutions. We send our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones to the tragic overdose crisis. 

Overdose is preventable. No one needs to die. Yet this crisis is getting worse, and the drug war is to blame. Prohibition has created an unregulated, unpredictable drug supply overtaken by fentanyl which is driving deaths. Many people are dying accidentally simply because they don’t know what they are taking.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With your support, DPA has been sounding the alarm and advocating for health solutions to replace the punitive policies that have failed to keep us safer. We’ve made significant strides toward enacting lifesaving reforms, but there is still so much more work to do.  

Take our quiz to ensure you’re up-to-speed on what’s causing the overdose crisis and how we can work together to save lives. 

Here are just a few ways we are addressing this crisis:  

• Overdose prevention centers (OPCs) help reduce the potential risks of drug use, such as overdose, and connect people to addiction services and social supports. In 2021, the first two locally approved OPCs in the U.S. opened in New York City. They’ve already averted more than 1,000 potentially fatal overdoses, all while providing thousands of people with a range of other care. Learn why we need lifesaving OPCs across the country. 
• A safer supply of drugs must be explored as a way to address the unregulated drug supply and curb its role in climbing overdose deaths. Learn how safer supply can help keep people alive by reducing the risks of consuming unknown substances.  
• A health approach to fentanyl is critical for saving lives. Unfortunately, lawmakers nationwide are trying to double down on failed drug war policies by calling for harsh penalties for fentanyl and related substances. We know this will only make the overdose crisis worse. Tell Congress to support the TEST Act to move toward an approach to fentanyl that is based in health and evidence instead of fear and punishment.  

The overdose crisis is complicated. And these are just a few pieces we need to pursue to solve it. But one thing remains clear: the drug war created the overdose crisis and the only way to save lives is a new approach that treats overdose like the health issue it is.  

As we reflect on all the people we’ve lost today, we must also keep fighting to save lives and raise our voices in support of a new way forward. Together, we can end the drug war and build a new world that puts people first.