Reverse the Silence Campaign Casts a National Spotlight on Overdose Risks Associated with Opioid Use
July 26 2021 - 9:01AM
An alliance of national nonprofit organizations comprised of
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Mothers Against
Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA), SAFE Project, and Shatterproof,
sponsored by Emergent BioSolutions Inc., (NYSE:EBS) today announced
the launch of a new public awareness campaign, Reverse the Silence,
which features television and radio spots that educate and help
support people who may be at risk or know someone at risk of an
opioid overdose.
Lifestyle influencer Dani Schaffer, who lost her brother, Scott
Anthony Molinari, to an accidental overdose in 2018 at the age of
33, is using her platform to talk about opioid use and ways to be
prepared for an overdose emergency. And professional athlete Darren
Waller, who for many years lived with an opioid dependency that
started at a young age, is now sharing his story of struggle and
triumph after overdosing in his car in 2017.
“At the age of 15, I was introduced to opioids and developed a
dependency that helped mask how I felt on the inside, but the
reality is that I felt completely isolated, and no one knew what I
was going through,” said Waller. “Reverse the Silence means no
longer remaining quiet and allowing others to dictate the narrative
for those of us who are living with addiction or are on the journey
to recovery. I’m telling my story because too many lives have been
lost to overdoses.”
An accidental opioid overdose can happen to anyone taking
opioids, across any community. The CDC’s 2020 provisional data
found a substantial increase in drug overdose deaths across the
country that coincided with the implementation of widespread
mitigation measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the
CDC, over 93,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12-month
period ending in December 2020, representing a worsening of the
drug overdose epidemic and the largest number of drug overdoses for
a 12-month period ever recorded.
“Hundreds of thousands of lives have already been lost and it’s
our responsibility to help reverse the silence about opioid use and
the risks of accidental opioid overdose,” said Admiral James and
Mary Winnefeld, founders of SAFE Project, and representatives of
the alliance. “We have joined forces with Emergent BioSolutions
because we cannot sit back and lose another life needlessly when
there are tools and ways to be prepared to help prevent an opioid
overdose. We encourage every family to talk about it and build a
plan for an opioid overdose emergency, because accidents happen,
and every second matters when someone’s life is on the line.”
Of the 49 million patients prescribed opioids in the U.S., more
than 18 million are considered at risk, which includes patients
prescribed opioids who are concurrently taking benzodiazepines,
those with a history of opioid use disorder or prior opioid
overdoses. It’s important to remember those who have household
members, including children, or other close contacts who may be at
risk for accidental ingestion or overdose.
“We are facing an opioid epidemic that is ravaging our society
as evidenced by the growing number of fatal opioid overdoses
happening every day,” said Doug White, SVP and devices business
unit head at Emergent BioSolutions. “We are proud to team up with
Dani Schaffer, Darren Waller, and this alliance of national
nonprofit organizations to help reverse the silence and lessen the
stigma of opioid overdoses, which are often accidental.”
For more information about Reverse the Silence and how
to help stop overdoses, visit ReverseSilence.org.
About Emergent BioSolutionsEmergent
BioSolutions is a global life sciences company whose mission is to
protect and enhance life. Through our specialty products and
contract development and manufacturing services, we are dedicated
to providing solutions that address public health threats. Through
social responsibility, we aim to build healthier and safer
communities. We aspire to deliver peace of mind to our patients and
customers so they can focus on what’s most important in their
lives. In working together, we envision protecting or enhancing 1
billion lives by 2030. For more information, visit our website and
follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
About The AllianceThe Alliance was formed
between Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Mothers
Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA), SAFE Project and
Shatterproof. These national nonprofit organizations share a
commitment to combat drug abuse and to spare other Americans of the
opioid epidemic that has devastated so many communities across the
country. Visit the links provided to learn more about each
organization.
Emergent BioSolutions Contacts:
Media:Matt HartwigDirector, Media
Relations240-760-0551mediarelations@ebsi.com
Investors:Robert G. BurrowsVice President,
Investor Relations240-631-3280burrowsr@ebsi.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c88f85dd-ac62-4c6e-987e-db5b060e2f00
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3052cc92-1378-4f69-ae70-e55f4212483f
Videos accompanying this announcement are available
at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/746c412c-b4ab-42fc-a307-413e9335df2b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cdb062d4-4831-4d99-beef-72392b956dd6
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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1492fd7f-00f2-45ff-bd4f-d6e60e2c22b8
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