COLORADO SPRINGS — Today is Overdose Awareness Day, a day to honor those who have lost their lives to the drug overdose epidemic.
According to CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, over 100,000 people died from a drug overdose last year, the majority of those from overdose deaths from synthetic opioids.
Caroline Peters spoke to Steve Carleton, a certified addiction specialist and the Executive Clinical Director at Gallus Medical Detox Centers, about what he believes is the biggest concern.
He says it’s fentanyl. Many people don’t realize that the drugs they are purchasing could be laced with very dangerous opioids.
“It’s critical because especially in adolescents and young adults when this is a time when people typically begin to experiment with substances, especially street drugs, it’s really critical to understand that if you’re buying drugs off the street, even if they look like pharmaceuticals out of someone’s medicine cabinet, typically they’re fake,” said Carleton.
Steve says it’s especially important for parents to have conversations about fentanyl with their kids. It could save lives. Today, kids are use emojis that signal which drugs they’re interested in buying. Steve said it’s important that parents pay close attention.
Anyone who wishes to receive help for drug addiction, can call Gallus Medical Detox Centers.
_____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
