David Van Der Velde Discusses the Battle Against Overdose in Thrive Global

In honor of Overdose Awareness Week, David Van Der Velde  wrote an article on Thrive Global about what concrete actions can be taken to fight against this public health epidemic. The article, entitled Overdose Awareness Involves More Than Just Thoughts and Prayers, discusses some of the challenges and possible solutions, citing Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, among others, as a resource.

Some of the solutions mentioned include:

• Providing 'at-risk' individuals access to Narcan®, a medication that can reverse opioid overdose.
• Providing substance-addicted individuals access to high-quality, and evidence-based, treatment.
• Providing recovery support through activities like support groups and communities like Awakening's structured recovery homes.

David also discusses the importance of preventing the substance used disorders in the first place, and how the funds from the numerous opioid settlements can be used towards this end.

Read the entire article on Thrive Global here.