Page 9 - 2025 Samaritas Winter Our Hands

Overdose Awareness:

Why is It Important?

Behavioral Healthcare

professionals highlight

International Overdose
Awareness Day

LANSING, MI
WILX | JADEN HAWKINS

In the U.S, about 100,000 people die from
an overdose each year. International
Overdose Awareness Day recognizes those
who have lost their lives to substance use
disorder. In 1993, Andrew Coleman was
just four years old when his uncle, Veteran
Richard Adam, died from a heroin
“We always see this with people who are Harm reduction is part of the
overdose. Since Coleman has devoted his
using substances; if they are educated on continued care for our field. It is
career to helping those with substance use
what they are using, they use in an something that is helpful and has
disorders.
educational way,” said Coleman. “The saved many people’s lives. Some
“I think when people die of an overdose, CDC says people who engage in needle individuals need to continue to
it’s confusing for a lot of people. It doesn’t exchange programs are five times more get support to stay alive, so we
fit into traditional death like other likely to enter drug treatment services. They can continue to work with them.”
illnesses,” said Coleman. “That stigma, that are 50% less likely to contract HIV or ~ Anthony Muller
if they weren’t using drugs, they wouldn’t Hepatitis C. They are often able to then The Michigan Department of Health and
have died from an overdose, it’s their fault access medication for opioid use disorder.” Human Services recorded that overdose
that they died. I think that grief for people deaths in Michigan have decreased by 5.7%
Anthony Muller is the Vice President of
becomes hard.” in 2023.
Substance Use Disorder Services and
Coleman works as a harm reduction Clinical Services Development at Samaritas. Coleman says overdose deaths are
researcher for the University of Michigan. He understands how harm reduction preventable, and if people want to continue
He says his work isn’t about getting drugs practices can be seen as controversial, but to see change, it starts with decriminalizing
off the street but finding safe practices for tells his team often, “You can fix a lot of behavioral healthcare disorders.
those who choose to use them. things, but you can’t fix dead.” To help combat this issue, the state has
launched a program that provides Narcan,
an opioid overdose reversal medication, at
The Opioid Crisis no charge to communities all over the state.
Michigan is spending over $3.4 billion a year battling the opioid crisis,
with lawmakers now shifting focus from emergency response to Since the program’s launch in 2020, they
long-term recovery. have distributed more than 1 million kits,
resulting in over 21,000 overdose reversals.
"Somebody cannot be on the road to recovery if we're not
connecting them with gainful employment and sustainable housing." If you or someone you know is looking for
~ Kelli Dobner, Samaritas help, please visit Samaritas.org today.

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