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There is no question that saving lives from overdose is a national priority. In 2024, it is well-known that accidental overdose is now the number one cause of death for young people. Surpassing car accidents and drug overdoses fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl abuse are ravaging the United States from coast to coast. In response, the new White House Challenge is simple and direct — Savings Lives From Overdose.

As a provider of SUD treatment services, Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) is on the front line of the national overdose crisis. Indeed, prevention and treatment efforts aim to save lives while raising awareness of the dangers. In addition, TTC believes that Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT Services) are a vital part of the equation. With the support of MAT Services, recovery outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) increase.

Saving Lives from Overdose = A Crisis Response

Indeed, the greater problem of saving lives from overdose goes well beyond young people. In a recent study, the substance of the report on the findings is hard to digest. Opioid overdose deaths are increasing in middle-aged women and pregnant women. Moreover, both these populations tend to be exceptions to the plague of drug overdoses. Hence, the widespread nature of the crisis becomes more evident and compelling.

According to the 2023 Report from the National Institutes of Health, “Drug overdose deaths rose markedly between January to June 2018 and July to December 2021 among 10- to 44-year-old girls and women who were pregnant or pregnant within the previous 12 months, according to a new study by researchers at National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. Overdose mortality more than tripled among those aged 35 to 44 during the study period, from 4.9 deaths per 100,000 mothers aged 35 to 44 with a live birth in the 2018 period to 15.8 in the 2021 period.”

White House Responds with Overdose Prevention

In response to the dark statistics, the White House chooses to respond with a comprehensive Overdose Prevention Initiative. Like TTC, the White House believes that opioid overdose antagonists and treatment medications are essential. As stated on the homepage of the initiative, “The White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose is a nationwide call-to-action to stakeholders across all sectors to commit to save lives by increasing training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications.”

As a nonprofit organization that provides integrated healthcare solutions, TTC appreciates the effort to access multiple stakeholders. Hence, saving lives from overdose becomes a more universal issue. More people will become involved in the process by empowering businesses and their employees to help. Once help is given, more is needed. In other words, saving lives from overdose is just the first step in the treatment process.

Beyond saving lives from overdose, OUD treatment options are a national necessity. At TTC, we provide MAT Services in inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. By widening accessibility, more people are reached, and more lives are saved. To learn more about treatment options at TTC, please get in touch with us.