At a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol on August 19, 2024, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen declared August 25-August 31, Nebraska Drug Overdose Awareness Week, (NDOAW).
“We can all be part of the solution by supporting programs in our communities, helping to spread awareness about overdose and Fentanyl poisoning, talking to our children about the dangers of fake pills, properly disposing and storing medications and carrying lifesaving Narcan. August 31st was established as International Drug Overdose Awareness Day to increase public knowledge about the severity of drug overdose, and Nebraska Drug Overdose Awareness Week is aimed at letting people know how they can help and to remember those that have been lost to drug overdose and Fentanyl poisonings in our state,” said Amy Holman, Project Coordinator for the Nebraska Pharmacists Association.
On August 29th, The Nebraska Pharmacists Association/Stop Overdose Nebraska are partnering with CenterPointe and Wellbeing Initiative, Inc. for an Overdose Awareness and Remembrance Event from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the garden at the CenterPointe Campus for Health & Wellbeing, 2202 S. 11th Street in Lincoln. There will be a speaker sharing his lived experience with substance use, Narcan training, and a candlelight vigil in remembrance of those lost to overdose.
“Last August we added online ordering of no-cost Narcan to stopodne.com and since, have sent out over 5000 boxes of Narcan to the people of Nebraska. We are also in the process of a new pilot program with Region V Systems that will place Narcan vending machines in two locations in Lincoln. This will allow individuals that are utilizing services at Matt Talbot and CenterPointe to have access to lifesaving Narcan. This is the first program like this in the state and a program that is putting some of our opioid settlement dollars to good use,” said Amy Holman, Project Coordinator for the Nebraska Pharmacists Association.
Courtesy of KNEB