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December 14, 2024This week's message is about trying to help keep folks alive by reducing the stigma associated with substance abuse. The National Overdose Prevention Network (NOPN) is a national learning community. They support local, regional and statewide overdose prevention efforts that draw communities together to save lives. Their goal is to help those doing the work on the ground share lessons learned and get inspired by new strategies. Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming addiction treatment and breaking down the stigma associated with substance use disorders (SUD). It has helped to change laws and treatment methods. And now it has its sights set on reducing the stigma by changing public opinion. At the helm of this advocacy group is founder and CEO Gary Mendell, who lost his son Brian to addiction in 2011. Brian didn’t die of an overdose; he was on the other side of recovery. Rather, he took his own life, says Mendell, because of the shame he felt due to the stigma of his past substance use problems. To make sense of his son’s death, Mendell launched Shatterproof in 2013 and that’s been his full-time focus since. Nearly 49 million Americans are living with addiction, but many don’t get the treatment they need. Stigma can cause social isolation and can discourage people from seeking help. Overdoses are the #1 cause of accidental and preventable death in our country. Addiction is the only medical illness that’s criminalized, but punishment does not reduce drug use or overdoses. Addiction costs our country more than $532 billion each year. And the costs keep rising. We’re hemorrhaging money on this crisis, and all that spending is not doing much to protect our loved ones. With the science we have today, we could save countless lives by increasing access to addiction treatment with an approach that’s compassionate, evidence-based, and rooted in public health. Here's Shatterproof's link: Shatterproof | Reversing the Addiction Crisis in the U.S. Here's NOPN's link: Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index — National Overdose Prevention Network