Outro

Stigma's Toll: A Podcast Series to Reduce the Stigma of Opioid Use Disorder Through Education

Thank you for listening to Stigma’s Toll. You have listened to five experts on Substance Use Disorder, and the stigma attached. We have explored different programs that aim to reduce the harm associated with drug use, reduce stigma and help those who use drugs stay as safe as possible. This included the University of Minnesota’s Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, The Steve Rummler Hope Network, Rural Aids Actions Network, a Medication Assisted Treatment program, and the Minnesota Opioid Project. My hope is that through learning more about Opioid Use Disorder, and the associated programs, we may start to reduce the stigma within ourselves. We must work towards reducing stigma and help advocate for these types of programs, in our own communities. With this new knowledge, my goal is to inspire you to advocate for, protect, and help those who have Opioid Use Disorder. This can take the form of support at the policy level, or through donations to programs that are already doing the much-needed work. Remember, Dead people don’t recovery, we must help keep people who use drugs, alive long enough, to find stability. This epidemic is sadly far from over and continues to grow. We need help from all areas of our country, so we don’t continue to lose our loved ones. As each overdose death, is someone’s brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter. We cannot sit by ideally, as we lose over 100,000 people each year to this disease, in the United States alone. For now, you can help use honor those who we have lost. Each year March 6th is” black Balloon Day” a day to remember and celebrate those we have lost to overdose, and August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose deaths. These campaigns have events all across the country, and the world, and I encourage you to find an event in your area. They are a powerful experience, and drive home just how powerful this disease is, and how powerless we may feel at times against it. But we cannot, and must not, stop the fight. Please stay tuned, for updates, and future interviews on the topic.

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