National Prevention Week is put on by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) every year to bring awareness to prevention efforts. It has been traditionally held in May, but it's been changed to a year-long ongoing event.
Makes sense. We are out there every single day ensuring the people in our communities have access to the tools and services that ultimately keep them alive and functioning. Real, tangible help and prevention.
Unfortunately, there are gaps. And we can see those gaps present themselves in our youth and elderly. Think about it for a moment. Those are the populations that we put the most effort into keeping safe. If something is happening there, what's happening to everyone else?
The news segment above highlights the increase in pediatric exposure to fentanyl in Oregon. 16 might not seem like a big number, but when it comes to this, it's a litmus test for how bad the situation is in Oregon. It doesn't stop there.
Our entire Nation is experiencing a hellish landscape of homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, loneliness, suicide, self harm, distrust, hopelessness, lack of access to basic needs and self-care. The majority of us live paycheck to paycheck, savings are tapped, credit is maxed, and there's no end in sight.
We must do whatever we can to break the cycles and elevate each other. We must do the unthinkable and unimaginable. We must talk to each other.