By Paige Leiser, Former NWPC Political Planning and Action Intern
August marks International Overdose Awareness Month, and August 31st is the official day of recognition about this critical issue. Overdose and drug usage are challenging topics to discuss. However, awareness about these issues is very important, especially for the prevention of these tragedies.
Substance abuse and addiction are conditions much more prevalent than most people realize, especially for female-identifying people. According to the National Institutes of Health, the rate of deaths among women involving overdose deaths has increased by triple digits from 1990-2017, with particular groups like 50–54 years seeing nearly a 500% rise in fatalities. These overdoses stem from drug misuse, recreational drug use, chemical interactions between medicines, or illegal substance abuse.
There are several reasons why women may face higher rates of overdose than males. On average, women are more likely to see a doctor and complain of chronic pain than men. These interactions with the healthcare system can result in higher drug prescription consumption, as providers may prescribe drugs for pain management. Many drugs, like opioids, are highly addictive and can be misused if taken without proper education and support from providers, thereby increasing the risk for dependence and overdose. Additionally, accidental overdoses can occur, mainly if a person takes more than one kind of drug. As a result, if women are more likely to go to the doctor and be prescribed medication for pain and other ailments, they may be at a higher risk for overdose.
Overdoses are entirely preventable, and we must change our public health systems to treat better patients who seek assistance for chronic pain or drug counseling therapies. We cannot stigmatize or ignore the thousands of people impacted by drug dependence and overdose.
The National Women’s Political Caucus strongly supports the International Overdose Awareness Day’s mission to increase awareness about this ongoing epidemic. We, as an organization, also want women who are struggling to know that they are not alone in their fight against drug dependence.
If you want to learn more about International Overdose Awareness Day, go to their website to receive more information.
Paige Leiser is an incoming senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from Shoreview, Minnesota. She is majoring in Political Science with minors in Gender and Women’s Studies, Global Health, and Education Policy. Before becoming an intern at the NWPC, she was the President of her campus’ chapter of Students for Biden and previously worked for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s re-election campaign in 2018. After graduating from UW-Madison, Paige plans to attend graduate school to study Maternal and Child Health Policy. When she has free time, Paige enjoys volunteering with her classmates, learning new things from NPR podcasts, and engaging in discussions related to women’s health and politics with her colleagues and family members.
