The statistics don’t lie: Every day, 128 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids—a number that was four times higher in 2018 than it was in 1999. In 2018 alone, an estimated 10.3 million Americans misused opioids. Over the past 20 years, drug abuse has become a major crisis in our country, affecting people of many different races, ages and economic levels.
As an organization supporting the greater good, you may feel called to help those struggling with opioid addiction or educate your community about the need for swift action. You might offer spiritual guidance, family counseling, emergency shelter or referral to local agencies. You also should be prepared to respond to an overdose or drug-related incident that may happen at your facility.
What are opioids?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids are divided into two classes:
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, common signs of opioid addiction include:
Reacting to a drug overdose
If someone at your facility overdoses on drugs, it’s imperative that you act quickly. Follow these steps:
Treating drug overdose
Naxolone (also known as Narcan) is considered to be a safe and effective treatment for drug overdose. If your organization wants to maintain a supply of naxolone, we recommend that you:
If you have additional questions regarding opioid awareness, abuse or overdose treatment, call Risk Control Central at (800) 554-2642, ext. 5213, or email riskconsulting@churchmutual.com.
Our Claims Center is here to help! To report a claim, call (800) 554-2642 and select Option 2, or email claims@churchmutual.com.