Dear Colleagues:Once again, as a group of mental health and substance use treatment professionals, we have an opportunity to take a public stance on behalf of the health and safety of drug using citizens. Please read the announcement below about the crisis of opiate overdose in the US and a petition to make naloxone (it blocks the effects of opiates and reverses overdose and saves lives) available over-the-counter as it is in Italy.
Overdose prevention is being implemented in small ways already under research conditions and has been shown to be very effective. This measure could save countless lives.
Please sign the petition by clicking below and forward this on to three colleagues.
Thank you!
Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Training Associates
Dear friends,
This is it! Please get involved in helping to reduce our out-of-control overdose crisis by signing the national petition! Our drug czar Gil Kerlikowske has been talking a lot lately about what a terrible problem accidental overdose has become, but he hasn't done anything yet to try to FIX the problem!
We know that a majority of these deaths are caused by opiates like Vicodin, methadone and heroin, and we know that the safe, effective drug naloxone reverses an overdose immediately. We know that people in Italy have been buying naloxone over-the-counter for years--so why can't we? Why is this incredibly safe, effective, lifesaving drug--so urgently needed right now--still only available with a prescription? People are dying--we need better access NOW!
Sign the petition urging our drug czar to start working with FDA & related agencies to move naloxone from prescription-only status to over-the-counter status. Its 30 year track record of incredible safety & efficacy demand a new plan to make it more available now and to DO something to stop our growing overdose crisis. Sign TODAY! And thank you for everything you do to help prevent overdose deaths!
http://dpa.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/OverdosePetition
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