RAOE Foundation

More than four (4) times as many people died from drug overdose (OD) than from homicide in the first month of 2021.
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➡️ 96,779 drug overdose deaths were reported from March 2020 to March 2021.
➡️ OD death totals during this period are 36.1% higher than the previous annual high from December 2018 to December 2019 (71,130 deaths).
➡️ Preliminary reports indicate the number of drug overdose deaths in America increased 29.6% in 2020.
➡️ In January 2021, drug overdose deaths exceeded homicides by 306.7%.
➡️ Motor vehicle accidents and suicides combined killed 84.5% as many as ODs.
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Source: Drug Overdose Death Rates (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics)
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The Preventable Epidemic - A Frontline Doctor's Experience and Recommendations to Resolve America's Opioid Crisis.
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Overdose death counts can be deceptive. Just as drug-related deaths aren’t always recorded as overdoses, some overdoses involve multiple drug types.
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👉 The national OD rate is 21.6 deaths per 100,000 residents.
👉 Among youth and young adults aged 15 to 24 years, the average annual OD death rate is 12.6 out of every 100,000.
👉 The OD death rate among this same age group is 41.9% lower than the national average death rate.
👉 Men are more than twice as likely as women to die from drug overdose.
👉 Women are dying from drug overdoses at a slightly faster annual rate.
👉 Among 25- to 34-year-olds, the male OD death rate exceeds women’s by 146.8%.
👉 Opioids are the deadliest drug type; at least one type of opioid is a factor in 71.76% of ODs.
👉 Opioids kill more than three (3) times as many people as co***ne.
👉 OD deaths rank just below diabetes in terms of highest death count.
👉 Between 2018 and 2019, drug overdose rates fell by 4.6% and for the first time since 2012.
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Source: Drug Overdose Death Rates (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics)
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Non-opioid therapy is a therapy with methods of managing pain that does not involve opioids.
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These methods can include, but are not limited to, Acetaminophen(Tylenol) or Ibuprofen(Advil), cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, meditation, exercise, medications for depression or for seizures, or interventional therapies (injections).
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Ten Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose:
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•Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
•Targeted Naloxone Distribution
•Academic Detailing
•Eliminating Prior-Authorization Requirements for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
•Screening for Fentanyl in Routine Clinical Toxicology Testing
•911 Good Samaritan Laws
•Naloxone Distribution in Treatment Centers and Criminal Justice Settings
•MAT in Criminal Justice Settings and Upon Release
•Initiating Buprenorphine-based MAT in Emergency Departments
•Syringe Services Programs
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Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different:
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•Opiates refer to natural opioids such as He**in, Morphine, Codeine and Fentanyl
•Opioids refer to all natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic opioids such as Morphine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Dilaudid and Demerol.
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Preventing overdose death and finding treatment options are the first steps to recovery. Treatment may save a life and can help people struggling with opioid addiction get their lives back on track by allowing them to counteract addiction’s powerful effects on their brain and behavior. The overall goal of treatment is to return people to productive functioning in their family, workplace, and community.
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Evidence-based approaches to treating opioid addiction include medications and combining medications with behavioral therapy. A recovery plan that includes medication for opioid addiction increases the chance of success.
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Medications used in the treatment of opioid addiction support a person’s recovery by helping to normalize brain chemistry, relieving cravings and in some cases preventing withdrawal symptoms. The choice to include medication as part of recovery is a personal medical decision, but the evidence for medications to support successful recovery is strong.
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Death rates from drug overdose reported by CDC publicly since 1999 to 2021​:
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•In year 1999 roughly 4,000 young American died​
•In year 2005 roughly 14,000 young American died​
•In year 2011 roughly 32,000 young American died​
•In year 2015 roughly 54,000 young American died​
•In year 2016 roughly 62,000 young American died​
•In year 2017 roughly 72,237 young American died​
•In year 2020 roughly 83,000 young American died ​
•In year 2020 roughly 87,000 young American died ​
•In year 2021 roughly 104,000 young American died
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There is wide variability at the county level in the amount of opioids received per resident. Counties with higher prescribing have been shown to have these characteristics:
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•Generally smaller cities or larger towns
•Higher percentage of white residents
•Higher number of dentists and primary care physicians per capita
•More people who are uninsured or unemployed
•More residents who have diabetes, arthritis, or a disability
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Source: CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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No other medications have such restrictions, including the prescription drugs people get addicted to and die from. Like many well-intentioned laws, the unintended consequences are significant.​
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Numbers of Deaths in past 22 years compared to Number of Doctors available in America.
Source: The Preventable Epidemic Book by Dr. Arun Gupta
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Michigan State Medical Society(MSMS) 2021 House of Delegates adopted Resolution 22-21, expanding access to Medication for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder. ​
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The resolution calls on MSMS to support the elimination of the requirement of a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine, supports the removal of barriers to the use of medications for opioid use disorder, and encourages all undergraduate​ medical institutions to incorporate education on prescribing medications to treat opioid use disorders into their curricula. ​
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MSMS policy also recognizes the importance of harm reduction strategies to reduce overdose deaths. MSMS has policy related to increased availability and affordability of naloxone as well as expanded access to syringe services programs.
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Anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted to them. In fact, as many as one in four patients receiving long-term opioid therapy in a primary care setting struggles with opioid addiction. Once addicted, it can be hard to stop. Taking too many prescription opioids can stop a person’s breathing, leading to death.
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Prescription opioid overdose deaths also often involve benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants used to sedate, induce sleep, prevent seizures, and relieve anxiety. Examples include Alprazolam(Xanax), Diazepam(Valium), and Lorazepam(Ativan).
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Avoid taking benzodiazepines while taking prescription opioids whenever possible.
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Various legislative actions implemented to prevent misuse of Opioid treatment license misuse, ended up severely restricting doctors who could treat opioid use disorders.
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There are more than 106,000 healthcare providers in the country who have the necessary X-DEA credentials to treat opioid use disorders. But less than 18,000 are actively involved in dealing with the growing opioid epidemic in the country.​
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With death rates from opioid misuse surging, more than 500 laws were enacted in the last 10 years against doctors, pill mills and pharmaceutical companies to curb the problem but this has only exacerbated the issue.​
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In addition to the serious risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, the use of prescription opioids can have a number of side effects, even when taken as directed:
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•Tolerance - meaning you might need to take more of the medication for the same pain relief
•Physical dependence - meaning you have symptoms of withdrawal when the medication is stopped
•Increased sensitivity to pain
•Constipation
•Nausea, vomiting and dry mouth
•Sleepiness and dizziness
•Confusion
•Depression
•Low levels of testosterone that can result in lower s*x drive, energy and strength
•Itching and sweating
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In 1962, the Supreme Court found this is a chronic disease and is treatable.
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Justice William Douglas, in his concurring opinion, wrote: ​
“If addicts can be punished for their addiction, then the insane can also be punished for their insanity. Each has a disease, and each must be treated as a sick person.“​
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Dr. Arun Gupta is one of those small group of doctors who is sounding the alarm on the nation’s opioid crisis. ​
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They are urging health authorities to wake up to this catastrophe, which is tearing through communities across race, gender, educational level, or financial standing.​
Dr. Gupta is quick to rid you of the rosy view that the American families have been unaffected by this affliction. It is a growing trend in our entire country. ​
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Many american families are affected by this affliction but either are in denial or wary of seeking professional help for fear of being stigmatized or shunned.
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Main causes of Opioid Deaths in USA​:
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•Lack of access - Almost 8 out of 10 patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) don’t have access to treatment ​
•Inability to deliver​ - Only 1% of doctors actively prescribe Medically Assisted Treatment for OUD​
•No education - How to handle addiction is not taught in medical school and residency in USA ​
•Red tape​ - Unnecessary regulations, limits, and oversight in addiction medicine is restricting patients access to quality care
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He**in is class 1 drug with no beneficial use.
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It’s an illegal, highly addictive opioid drug. A he**in overdose can cause slow and shallow breathing, coma, and death.​
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Nearly all people who used he**in also used at least 1 other drug. This practice is especially dangerous because it increases the risk of overdose.​
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Reductions in opioid prescription does not lead to reduction in drug-related mortality.​
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From 2011 - 2020, there was 44.4% decrease in opioid prescription, however Opioid deaths went up significantly in this time frame.
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Access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including buprenorphine that can be prescribed in office-based settings, is the gold standard for treating individuals suffering from opioid use disorder.​
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Removing some of the certification requirements for an X-waiver for physicians is a step toward providing more people struggling with this chronic disease access to medication assisted treatment.​
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Without MAT, the chances of relapse for a person who suffers from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) are significant. Studies have shown that outcomes for people with OUD are much better with MAT.
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​An increase in deaths from drug overdoses and suicides contributed to a decline in overall life expectancy in the United States. The estimate of how long a person born in 2020 can expect to live in the United States is now 77.0 years, a decrease of 1.8 years from 2019.​
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The age-adjusted death rate for the entire US population increased by 16.8%, from 715.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019 to 835.4 in 2020.​
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According to Michigan state data, overdose deaths in Michigan increased by 14% between 2019 - 2020.​
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Michigan introduced House and Senate bills to prevent overdose in the state. House Bill 5163, introduced by Representative Witwer, and Senate Bill 579, introduced by Senator Vanderwall, would expand the availability of medications for opioid use disorder in emergency departments. ​
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In addition, House Bill 5166 introduced by Representative Whiteford and Senate Bill 578, introduced by Senator Brinks, would expand the naloxone standing order to allow community-based organizations access to the lifesaving overdose reversal drug.
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Know Your Options!
Talk to your doctor about ways to manage your pain that do not involve prescription opioids. Some of these options may actually work better and have fewer risks and side effects. Depending on the type of pain you are experiencing, options may include:
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-Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)
-Cognitive behavioral therapy – a psychological, goal-directed approach in which patients learn how to modify physical, behavioral, and emotional triggers of pain and stress
-Exercise therapy, including physical therapy
-Medications for depression or for seizures
-Interventional therapies (injections)
-Exercise and weight loss
-Other therapies such as acupuncture and massage
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Over the past two decades, the opioid addiction has resulted in the deaths of nearly one million people in US. After decades of research and first hand experiences, Dr. Arun Gupta tells us how to end this crisis that is destroying so many lives.

Passionate, factual, and written with truth as the only agenda, this book offers the practical solutions for the War on Drugs that American so desperately needs.
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Opioids include prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (Oxycontin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine and many others, and illegal drugs such as he**in.
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Opioids are highly addictive and can have dangerous side effects.They can cause overdose and death.
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According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 80 percent of Americans using he**in (including those in treatment) reported misusing prescription opioids first.
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Reverse Overdose to Prevent Death!
Expand access to and use of naloxone – a non-addictive, life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when administered in time.
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Access to naloxone can be expanded through:🔽
👉🏻Standing orders at pharmacies.
👉🏻Distribution through local, community-based organizations.
👉🏻Access and use by law enforcement officials.
👉🏻Training for basic emergency medical service staff on how to administer the drug.
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Source:CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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The best ways to prevent opioid overdose deaths are to improve opioid prescribing, reduce exposure to opioids, prevent misuse, and treat opioid use disorder.
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Improving the way opioids are prescribed through clinical practice guidelines can ensure patients have access to safer, more effective pain treatment while reducing the number of people who potentially misuse or overdose from these drugs.
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Reducing exposure to prescription opioids, for situations where the risks of opioids outweigh the benefits, is a crucial part of prevention.
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📌 HELPLINE: 800-662-4357 ☎️
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Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges and can be diverted for misuse and abuse in the United States.
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-Rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased over 16% from 2018 to 2019.
-Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids were nearly 12 times higher in 2019 than in 2013.
-More than 36,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2019
-The latest provisional drug overdose death counts through May 2020 suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Source:CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Recognizing an opioid overdose can be difficult. If you aren’t sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life.
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Call 911 or seek medical care for the individual. Do not leave the person alone. 🆘
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Signs of an overdose may include ⬇️
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-Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
-Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
-Slow, shallow breathing
-Choking or gurgling sounds
-Limp body
-Pale, blue, or cold skin
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