Addiction Recovery Care Highlights National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day (August 21)
In observance of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day (August 21, 2023), Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) is remembering the many individuals who have lost their lives to fentanyl use and reminding Kentuckians that it’s not too late to seek help.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is being added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive and more dangerous. Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it or smell it.
In a press release, the DEA shared that 110,511 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and poisonings in 2022, with almost 70 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
“Using fentanyl just one time could be your last,” cautioned Matt Brown, ARC’s chiefadministration officer. “I say that because it’s true, and we see it time and time again. But the good news is that treatment is available, and at ARC, we’ll have a place available for you right away.”
ARC operates more than 30 inpatient and residential facilities throughout the state and also offers “ARC Anywhere,” which allows s clients to access ARC services from a laptop or smartphone.
Last year, 2,135 Kentuckians experienced fatal drug overdoses. According to data from the Office of Drug Control Policy, fentanyl was identified through toxicology in 1,548 drug overdose deaths, representing 72.5 percent of the total drug overdose deaths in 2022.
“If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and reading this right now, it’s not too late to get help,” added Brown.
To learn more about National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day, please visithttps://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness.
More information about treatment options at ARC and what to expect can be found athttps://arccenters.com.
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About Addiction Recovery Care
Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) operates a network of over 30 addiction treatment programs in 22 Kentucky counties. The organization, headquartered in Louisa, Kentucky, offers a full continuum of care including withdrawal management, long-term residential treatment, intensive outpatient, outpatient, medically assisted treatment (MAT), vocational rehabilitation and job training. The treatment centers are holistic with CARF-accredited clinical programs, medical services directed by an addiction psychiatrist, a spiritual emphasis that includes the 12 steps and chaplaincy care and a broadening scope of vocational training opportunities for clients. Full details about ARC’s services are available atwww.arccenters.com.
