A word from our Prevention Coordinator on Opioids

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 130 Americans die from an opioid related overdose every day. Opioids, a class of drugs that act on nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to relax the body and relieve pain, are often described as licit (e.g. prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine), illicit (e.g. heroin) and synthetic (e.g. man-made drugs such as methadone, fentanyl, tramadol). Synthetic opioids are manufactured using man-made chemicals rather than natural ingredients, resulting most times in higher potency. A drug that is considered highly potent requires only a small amount to give the desired effect. Click here to read more.