International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on August 31 each year. As the awareness day approaches this year, think about what you know about overdoses and overdose prevention in our community.

If your answer is “not much,” you aren’t alone. Unless they’re directly affected, most people don’t know a lot about drug use, the potential for overdoses, and ways to lower that risk. 

But it’s something that we should really all know about, because it has the potential to impact us all, at any time. Keep reading to learn about the ongoing opioid crisis, overdoses, and an innovative program offered through Cempa Community Care designed to provide help.

Understanding the Crisis
While drug use and abuse have been present in our community and across the world for decades and even centuries, the issue has worsened in recent years. There are many reasons for that, and the increase in drug use has been paralleled by a rise in mental health issues.

The numbers are pretty staggering. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by the Department of Health and Human Services in January, 61.2 million people in the United States used illicit drugs within the past year. That represents 21.9% of the population ages 12 and older.

Of that number, 46.3 million people met the criteria for having a substance abuse disorder, with 29.5 million experiencing an alcohol use disorder and 24 million with a drug use disorder.

Another startling fact? The vast majority of those affected by a substance abuse disorder do not receive treatment. That makes them more likely to experience serious health issues related to the disorder, including overdose.

In 2021, there were 106,699 drug-involved overdoses in the United States.

Reducing Harm
What can be done to change that trend and lower the number of overdoses? It starts with what’s known as harm reduction.

Cempa facilitates a harm reduction program called STEP TN, which is short for the Syringe Trade & Education Program of Tennessee. This program offers multiple methods for reducing the potential for harm related to drugs within the community, through a combination of educational outreach and services.

“STEP TN is a multi-faceted harm reduction program,” says Cai Vance, Harm Reduction Manager with STEP TN. “We use the very latest evidence-based practices to serve as a bridge to a population that often goes unserved due to stigma. We provide a space that is welcoming, nonjudgmental, and safe for clients to come in and get basic immediate needs met, which ripple out into the community and create a safer drug-use network and ultimately a healthier community. By practicing prevention instead of ignoring or turning away from addiction and drug-use issues, this lessens the load on first responders, hospitals, primary care facilities, insurance companies, and others.”

Through the program, those in the community can access resources that allow them to reduce the harm of drug use.

“We understand that while it isn’t realistic or attainable to convince everyone to quit using substances, we can provide them with the tools they need to do it safely and not have to re-use or share the materials with others,” Vance says. “We do this through a confidential and anonymous program where folks can come in, trade used syringes for new injection equipment, and therefore reduce the risk of medical injury, infection, and wounds to themselves while lessening the spread of bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C within the community.”

These resources are also paired with educational and preventive tools, including fentanyl testing strips, apps that can be used in lieu of using substances while alone, instructions about how to respond to an overdose, and tips on administering naloxone, a medication used to treat narcotic overdose in an emergency.

Making an Impact
In 2022 alone, hundreds of clients received services through the STEP TN program. The impact included:

• 659 new patients
• 7,464 client sessions
• 293,326 syringes distributed
• 263,489 syringes disposed of
• 991 instances where naloxone distributed through the program was administered to treat an overdose

In addition to these services, the STEP TN program also processed 460 HIV tests and 308 hepatitis C tests, helping to reduce the spread of these viruses in the community.

How to Access STEP TN Services
These vital services are available to anyone who needs them. While the services and educational resources need to be obtained in person, those who receive them can remain anonymous. 

“Our program does not take personal information such as ID, name, date of birth, or address to ensure the anonymity and confidentiality of each visitor,” Vance says. “Enrollment during the first visit can take 10 to 20 minutes, and each visit after that can be as brief as five minutes, or as long as the client needs to explore their interest in being connected to any number of services through Cempa or partner organizations. We are happy to sit and hold space for those who need it, to make phone calls and appointments, to arrange transportation, and to do the legwork to make seeking help as easy as possible for our clients.”

In Chattanooga, those in need of STEP TN services can access them at The Impact Hub, located at 4001 Rossville Boulevard. Once in touch with STEP TN, you can expect to be treated with respect and care.

“Every human being is worthy of dignity and respect — and especially worthy of life,” Vance says. “The reality of the opioid crisis, along with other addictions, is that ignoring it won’t solve anything. There has to be a realistic approach that meets people where they are and offers compassion and assistance without hoops to jump through.”

It can make all the difference for individuals and for the community.

“While we don’t want to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger that can be associated with drug use, there are resources available that are clearly safer than turning a blind eye,” Vance adds. “These services accomplish the ultimate goal of creating safer individuals and safer communities.”

Cempa Community Care is proud to support STEP TN. You can learn more about the program, what it offers, and current operational hours on our website.