Author: Danielle Olson

International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31st

On By Danielle Olson

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day.  It’s a day to remember the loved ones we’ve lost to overdose, but also to educate ourselves on the signs of overdose. We need to continue to bring awareness in order to prevent more deaths from overdose.

To bring awareness this year, I will be sharing information on depressant overdoses. I’ve provided links to the International Overdose Awareness Day Fact Sheets that go into detail about what to do if someone you know is showing signs of an overdose from alcohol or other types of substances. It could save their life.

What is a Depressant? 

A depressant is a drug that slows the vital activities of the body including breathing and the heart rate. Depressants may also be known as sedatives. Opioids (such as heroin and pharmaceutical opioids like Endone), benzodiazepines (such as Xanax or Valium), barbiturates and alcohol all slow the central nervous system to produce a calming effect. These substances are prescribed to relieve pain, help you sleep, or in the case of alcohol, used recreationally. However, when taken in excessive amounts or in combination, they can depress normal functions such as breathing and heart rate until breathing and the heart eventually stop, resulting in death.

Signs of an Overdose

  • Vomiting
  • Unresponsive, but awake
  • Limp body
  • Pale and/or clammy face
  • Blue/grey fingernails or lips
  • Shallow or erratic breathing, or not breathing at all
  • Slow or erratic pulse (heartbeat)
  • Choking or sounds of gurgling noise
  • Loss of consciousness

How to Respond

  • Check for danger
  • Call for an ambulance and stay on the line
  • Monitor the person and give CPR if they stop breathing
  • Lossen tight clothing
  • If they are unconscious, put them in the recovery position and check that they are breathing (don’t leave them on their back)

Fact Sheets

Click on any of these fact sheets to learn more about what the substances are, the signs of an overdose, and how to respond when someone is showing these signs.

History of International Overdose Awareness Day: 

“International Overdose Awareness Day was initiated in 2001 by Sally J Finn at The Salvation Army in St Kilda, Melbourne.

Since 2001, many community members as well as government and non-government organisations have held events to raise awareness and commemorate those who have been lost to drug overdose.

Since 2012, International Overdose Awareness Day has been coordinated by the not-for-profit Australian public health organization Penington Institute.” (Description from OverdoesDay website)

Get To Know Our 2023 Scholarship Recipient – Adyana Barbarisi

On By Danielle Olson

We’d like to formally introduce our 2023 Scholarship Recipient, Adyana Barbarisi. The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund was established to assist and recognize students who have lost a parent to substance abuse. We are proud to award a $1,000 scholarship to assist Adyana this year.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Adyana Barbarisi and I am from Winthrop, Massachusetts. I graduated from Winthrop High School in 2021 as a member of the National Honors Society. I am starting my junior year at The University of Tampa where I am studying nursing. It has always been an aspiration of mine to help others and becoming a nurse will help make those goals a reality. At the University of Tampa, I am a member of the Student Nurse Association where I help organize community activities to provide services for underserved populations. I find that I am studying most of the time, but when I do have spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, and traveling.

Q: Imagine yourself 10 years from now. What goals and ambitions do you have for yourself, personally, academically, and professionally?

10 years from now, I hope to be working in a hospital in either Boston or Tampa. I hope to be working in the neonatal intensive care unit where I provide care for newborns. Personally, I hope to be married with children living either in Boston or Tampa. Academically, I hope to have earned my bachelor’s and master’s and possibly a doctorate in nursing. Overall, I hope that I am healthy and happy since that’s most important to me.

Q: Aside from a college degree, what do you hope to gain from your college experience?

In college, I hope to strengthen the relationships I’ve already built and create new ones. While navigating The University of Tampa’s rigorous nursing program having peers that I can lean on and professors I can go to for advice is extremely beneficial. Not only in nursing, but also life in general, it’s important to have a strong support system that you can rely on.

Q: What motivates you to continue working towards accomplishing your goals?

I find that my biggest motivator to continue working towards my goals comes from within. I’ve always been the type of person that pushes myself to do better. When I make a plan, I stick to it and when I achieve my goal, I make another one. For me, having this internal sense of discipline allows me to persevere through difficult situations to ultimately accomplish my goals.

Q: What advice would you give to other students who have been through circumstances similar to yours?

My biggest piece of advice for anyone who has lost a loved one to substance abuse is to take all that pain, sadness, and hurt and turn it into drive. Losing a loved one is never easy and personally, I found that putting my energy into accomplishing my goals is what helped me the most. Just remember that grief isn’t linear, it will be different for everyone and that’s perfectly okay.