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#ResistTheRisk

Join Our Campaign - #ResistTheRisk

Help spark a conversation in your community by sharing our messages. Share with your schools, businesses, offices, police departments, recreational facilities, and other locations.

View Our Videos on YouTube:

Listen to Our Radio Announcements on YouTube:

What is an Opioid?

 

Do You Know What's Inside? Neither Does Your Dealer

 

Speedballing?

 

Prescribed Opioids and Benzos? Mixing Can Be Fatal. Talk to Your Doctor.

 

6 Massachusetts Residents Die Each Day From Overdose
Designed by Artists for Humanity
Spot The Difference
Designed by Artists for Humanity
Keep Your Name Off The Next Gravestone
Designed by Artists for Humanity
Opioid Withdrawal
Designed by Artists for Humanity
Sharing is Dealing - Your prescription belongs only to you

At a Glance

In 2017, more than 70,237 people died in the U.S. from a drug overdose; 47,600 of those deaths were the result of opioids. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC))

On average, there were approximately 130 opioid overdose deaths each day in 2017

An estimated 2033 people died in Massachusetts in 2018 - nearly SIX people a day. (MA Department of Public Health)

The number of fatal drug overdoses in Massachusetts in 2017 was two times higher than the national rate. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Age Adjusted Overdose Fatalities By State
NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality
Age-adjusted drug overdose death rates by state: United States, 2017 (CDC)

Our Goal

#ResistTheRisk is an awareness campaign designed to inform the public and spark conversation about the dangers and consequences of abusing, sharing and selling opioids - prescription pills, heroinfentanyl and others.

Opioid abuse, including recreational use of opioids, has led to a dramatic increase in opioid dependence and opioid-related deaths causing great destruction and despair in our communities.

We must continue to raise awareness about the risks of abusing opioids to help prevent more people from becoming addicted. We must continue to hold individuals accountable for supplying drugs to our neighbors and remind the public of the risks associated with distribution


Your Choices Matter. Here's Why: 

Nearly 80% of heroin users began by abusing prescription pain meds (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids)

89% of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts in 2018 involved fentanyl (MA Dept. of Public Health)

Counterfeit pills are made to look like legitimate prescription pills, but often contain deadly fentanyl  (DEA)

Every 15 minutes a baby is born in the United States with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

The "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the US is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)


In Need of Treatment?

Massachusetts Substance Abuse Helpline - 800-327-5050

SAMHSA: Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator


 

#ResistTheRisk is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Massachusetts 

Updated January 8, 2024