CDC Announces Social Media Campaign Aiming to Prevent Overdoses

Officials with the CDC launched a social media campaign this week that is designed to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse. 

Operation UNITE teamed up with the CDC and other partners to launch a social media campaign during the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, being held in Atlanta this week.

Social media activity connected with the campaign is tagged #RXProblem and has already generated more than 10,000 hits in the first three days, according to conference officials.

Tom Frieden, CDC Director, and Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), served as keynote speakers at the meeting, and addressed the prescription abuse issue during their discussion.

“Misuse of prescription opioid medications led to more than 16,000 overdose deaths in 2013,” Volkow said during that session, according to a press release. “NIDA supports a variety of science based solutions, including the development of abuse-resistant pain medications, better medications to treat opioid dependence, and easier access to the overdose prevention drug Naloxone.”

“States such as Florida have seen fewer overdoses and deaths by getting public health, law enforcement, and communities to work together to focus on safe prescribing practices; track trends in prescriptions; and increase access to quality treatment programs,” said Frieden in the release. “Success is possible – the key now is to figure out and scale up what works.”

Reference

1. Frieden T, et al. General Session: What’s Working and Where Are We Going. Presented at: National Drug Abuse Rx Summit. April 8, 2015, Atlanta.