“CDC has a strong focus on preventing health problems before they occur, including in the overdose space,” said Allison Arwady, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Injury Center. “We work closely with our state and local partners across the country to collect data and drive local prevention actions, and just as closely to coordinate our work with our other federal agency partners. This study highlights that as a society, we are still missing many opportunities to prevent fatal overdoses, and we must continue to work together at all levels to save lives.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org(link is external). To learn how to get support for mental health, or substance use conditions, visit FindSupport.gov(link is external). If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov(link is external) or call 800-662-HELP (4357).
Find out how you can help at CDC’s Stop Overdose(link is external) campaign.
About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.nih.gov.
About substance use disorders: Substance use disorders are chronic, treatable conditions from which people can recover. In 2022, nearly 49 million people in the United States had at least one substance use disorder. Substance use disorders are defined in part by continued use of substances despite negative consequences. They are also relapsing conditions, in which periods of abstinence (not using substances) can be followed by a return to use. Stigma can make individuals with substance use disorders less likely to seek treatment. Using preferred language can help accurately report on substance use and addiction. View NIDA’s online guide.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
References
CM Jones, et al. Overdose, Behavioral Health Services, and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder After a Nonfatal Overdose(link is external). JAMA Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1733 (2024).
