Filenews 31 August 2021
Since 2004, 300 drug-related deaths have been recorded in Cyprus, of which 150 were due to overdoses, according to an announcement by the Cyprus Addictions Authority (AAEK), which cites data from the Monitoring Department of AAEK/EKEPN.
As stated in the Communication, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA, 2021), 5141 deaths were recorded in the European Union in 2019 due to the use of one or multiple substances, an increase of 3% compared to 2018. In most fatal cases due to an overdose (76%) opioids, mainly heroin, are detected, often in combination with other substances.
According to the Communication, the measures promoted by the AAEK to prevent deaths related to substance use focus on internationally implemented interventions, notably the inclusion and retention of opioid users in substitution treatment, ensuring continuity of treatment in prisons and the reintegration of individuals into the community. Deaths resulting from an overdose of substances can be prevented, it is pointed out.
"We place emphasis on awareness of overdose, particularly around key risk factors such as the combination of alcohol and/or benzodiazepine substance use, and on ensuring the availability of naloxone (an opioid antagonist) and training both frontline professionals and opioid users in its use to reverse overdoses," it noted.
It is added that "the aim of AAEK in the next stage is to promote the training of family members of users in the administration of naloxone".
The Authority, in cooperation with the Nicosia Municipality, symbolically illuminates Eleftherias Square tonight in the colour of lilac, in the colour of the International Day of Awareness for the overdose of substances, in memory of all those who have lost their lives from this cause, and in recognition of the grief and loss experienced by their families and friends.
The aim of this year's International Overdose Awareness Day is to raise public awareness about overdoses, prevent the phenomenon and reduce the stigma associated with the use of addictive substances.
