This Sunday, Aug. 31, is International Overdose Awareness Day.

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency calls it “the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those we have lost to an overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms.”

They also note that overdose is one of the world’s worst public health crises. There were 80,391 reported drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2024. Although this is roughly a 29% drop from 2023, even one death from overdose is one too many, particularly if it’s someone you know and love.

We hear a lot about fentanyl on the news, so it’s no surprise that synthetic opioids such as fentanyl top the list of being responsible for the most overdose deaths. They are

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