National Opioid and Heroin Awareness Week, recognized September 19-23, is sponsored by the Department of Justice to bring awareness to the cycle of opioid misuse and heroin abuse in communities all around the country. Every day, 129 people die of a drug overdose and 61 percent of those deaths are related to pharmaceutical opioids or heroin. To respond to this problem, the Department of Justice has a three-pronged approach to:
1) raise awareness about the opioid and heroin epidemic;
2) highlight enforcement successes that target the drug trafficking organizations and gangs fueling violence in our communities; and
3) provide resources for treatment.
During this week, let’s learn about the problem, talk about it with our family members and friends, and work together to save our communities from the devastating effects of opioid misuse and heroin abuse.