Connecticut marks International Overdose Awareness Day with positive news. Deaths are dropping

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State leaders marked International Overdose Awareness Day with some positive news – deaths have dropped two years in a row. But the number of victims in Connecticut is still staggering. “MY DEEPEST FEAR HAD COME TRUE” Kass Kruh’s reality is sobering. By the time she was 21, Kruh had already lost both of her parents to overdoses. “My deepest fear had come true when I found my mom unresponsive in our apartment. She had passed away from an overdose, and my entire world had been turned upside down,” Kruh said. That was 2017, when Kruh was in college. Just two years later, she faced another personal tragedy. “I was struck yet again with another earth-shattering reality, when my dad passed away in 2019 – also from an overdose,” Kruh said. NUMBERS ARE DROPPING Kruh joined state leaders to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. In Connecticut, approximately 1,300 people died last year, according to state comptroller Sean Scanlon. But the numbers are dropping, thanks to an aggressive prevention effort called LiveLOUD . Those struggling with opioid use disorder, along with their friends and family, can get connected to support and treatment options, and learn how to become a LiveLOUD partner to help spread awareness. Additionally, anyone seeking treatment for addiction can visit www.ctaddictionservices.com or call 1-800-563-4086 (24 hours a day, seven days a week) to get connected to nearby services throughout Connecticut. “We must ensure that those who need help can access it without fear of judgment or stigma,” said Nancy Navarretta, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). PREVENTING DEATHS Life-saving naloxone, best known by the brand name Narcan, can save a life within two minutes of administering a nasal spray. “You want to hold one nostril closed, put it firmly in with their head back, and press firmly, one time,” said DMHAS opioid services coordinator Justin Mehl. If someone is overdosing, they may be slumped over. Also, listen for gurgling sounds, and look for blue lips and extremities, along with pale, clammy skin. More than half of victims get drugs from home or someone they know, so it’s also critical to dispose of old prescriptions. You can obtain a drug deactivation pouch here. “You can pour up to 45 pills, six ounces of liquid or even patches, into this pouch. You’re going to add water directly to the pouch.” said Kelly Juleson-Scopino, with the Governor’s Prevention Partnership. “The medication is being broken down, so it cannot be misused.” It's all too late to save Kass Kruh’s parents. She said that their deaths changed her life forever. “I had to make many decisions I was not ready for at the age of 19,” Kruh said, “including the decision to stay in school, even though I had just lost the most important person in my life.” OVERDOSE AWARENESS EVENTS Cities and towns across Connecticut are holding vigils to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, which is officially observed on Aug. 31: Thursday, Aug. 29:

• Torrington : 5:30 p.m., Coe Park
• New Canaan : 6:30 p.m., South Avenue & Elm Street

Friday, Aug. 30:

• Stratford: Free Narcan Training Drop In, Aug 30, 9 a.m., Birdseye Municipal Complex
• New Haven: Aug. 30, 12 p.m. , New Haven Green

Saturday, Aug. 31:

• Danbury : Kennedy Park

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