The opioid crisis has become a public health emergency with more than 110 Americans dying daily from opioid-related overdose. CSIP and the Partnership to End Addiction have worked with partners and stakeholders to raise awareness about the dangers of misuse of opioids and provide additional resources that respond to the ongoing crisis of opioid addiction in the U.S. This is a nationwide problem that requires a nationwide effort. At the same time, we have worked closely with state government partners in North Carolina, Connecticut and others states promoting local responses to the crisis as well. Finally, we are working with several of our members leveraging the work of technology companies in this ongoing effort.
CSIP is collaborating with technology companies working together to leverage their resources to fight the opioid addiction crisis.
About the Partnership to End Addiction
Our collaborator, the Partnership to End Addiction, provides personalized support and resources for families impacted by addiction, while mobilizing policymakers, researchers and health care professionals to more effectively address addiction systemically on a national scale. Call the Helpline, connect via live chat or email us to get one-on-one help to address your child’s substance use. All communications are free and confidential.
Addiction Support Resources
As cities and states across the country continue to search for practical, impactful solutions to prevent addiction and opioid-related overdose deaths, the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids announced the launch of MedicineSafe, a new coalition of national and state organizations working together to help save lives. 1 in 8 teens has reported getting high on over-the-counter cough medicine. This guide from the Partnership for Drug Free Kids will offer answers to many questions about cough medicine abuse, give helpful tips for preventing this and other types of drug abuse and provide resources for more information. Safely disposing of used sharps is important. Sharps that are not disposed of safely may cause injury. However, disposal rules and regulations vary across states and localities. Established in 2002, SafeNeedleDisposal.org helps people learn how to safely dispose of used sharps. The project is currently run by NeedyMeds.org, a CSIP partner. Get information for your state and other resources on safe needle disposal. Abuse of prescription medication by teens is a top public health concern. The State of Colorado’s social marketing campaign aims to tackle this problem and is part of the larger work of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. The mission of the Consortium is to ” reduce the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs in the State of Colorado through improvements in education, public outreach, research, safe disposal, and treatment.” The social marketing campaign features resources and tools to reach youth and young adults (12-25 years old). A report prepared by LegitScript.com for the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies In 2016, LegitScript prepared a report for CSIP on the state of the internet pharmacy market, including market trends, challenges, and opportunities. That report found that about 96 percent of websites marketing pharmaceuticals on the open internet — somewhere between 30,000 and 35,000 — failed to adhere to applicable legal requirements. Of those, the vast majority (all but about five percent) were blatantly illegal and unsafe, selling prescription drugs without requiring a prescription. However, our report also found that the voluntary efforts of internet and payment platforms such as Google, PayPal, and Bing, among other companies, to curb the online promotion of illicit products have disrupted these illicit businesses’ operations, specifically by removing the options of paid advertising and the most common payment methods. These successes may have pushed illicit drug dealers to the “dark web.” This portion of the internet, which requires specialized software or configurations to access, is built for anonymity and privacy, and as such is the perfect haven for sellers of illicit products. In response to that increasingly important question, this report provides an overview of the dark web, describes how it is used for illicit drug sales, and identifies key vulnerabilities. Every day, more than 115 Americans die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. View the fact sheet from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) works to reduce drug use and its consequences by leading and coordinating the development, implementation, and assessment of U.S. drug policy. Its programs include the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program and the Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crises (CARA) Program. ONDCP also supports the work of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
Press Release: A New National Coalition to Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic
Preventing Teen Over-The-Counter Cough Medicine Abuse: A Parent’s Guide
SafeNeedleDisposal.org: Safety Is The Point
TakeMedsSeriously.org – State of Colorado
The State of Opioid Sales on the Dark Web
Understanding the Opioid Overdose Crisis in the United States
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
