In an effort to end the overdose epidemic, Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency and CommuniCare Health Centers have partnered to present a fentanyl awareness video campaign.
Throughout 2022, Yolo County has seen the number of deaths due to unintentional overdose risk increase, largely due to the presence of fentanyl. Fentanyl, which can be lethal in very small doses and is undetectable to users, is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to a press release from the county.
According to recent national data, over 99% of all oxycodone pills submitted to crime labs contained fentanyl.
The video campaign released by the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) and Communicare, encourages residents to act quickly when they suspect an overdose and to carry Narcan (naloxone), a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
“Throughout history public media campaigns have proven to be one of the most effective ways to decrease the negative effects of substances and increase prevention, harm reduction, and treatment engagement, raise awareness and decrease stigma,” Ian Evans, Yolo County Alcohol and Drug Administrator, said.
“As a community, we must begin rallying around individuals struggling with substance use the same we would with anyone struggling with a disease or illness, bringing connection and support in the same way we would to a friend, family member, or co-worker who was fighting cancer, heart disease or diabetes,” he continued. “We must do this through partnership and collaboration, and we’re incredibly grateful to have partners like CommuniCare here in Yolo that can help us spread that message, get lifesaving Narcan out into the community, and treat substance use like any other health care issue.”
The county is encouraging the community to help share the awareness videos linked below and use the tag line: Carry the Narcan, Save a Life. Yolo County CAN end opioid overdoses. For more information on HHSA’s substance use continuum of care options in Yolo County, please visit bit.ly/YoloSUDS.
“We recognize the devastating impact fentanyl and other opioids have on individuals, their families, and the larger community,” said Sara Gavin, Chief Behavioral Health Officer for CommuniCare. “CommuniCare is committed to continuing to bring awareness, education, and access to high-quality, de-stigmatized, accessible services to anyone who needs them. Having safe, readily available life-saving resources like Narcan in the event of an opioid overdose is imperative. We all need to work together to get messaging out to the local community that Narcan is available and partner on normalizing substance use treatment services as a part of overall health care.”
This article originally appeared in the Daily Democrat on September 2, 2022.
Link to article on Daily Democrat website: Yolo County releases video campaign for unintentional overdose awareness
