Today marks International Overdose Awareness Day and many in the community will be gathering to remember friends and family who have died from an overdose.
An integrated treatment approach combining various interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relapse prevention and other therapeutic tools is effective to combat addiction.
SUBSTANCE misuse is an enduring social problem. According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the US in the past 12 months – the highest number ever recorded.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics recorded a sharp increase in alcohol-related fatalities during and after the first Covid-19 lockdown, up 16.4%. During Malaysia’s first movement control order (MCO) that began in March last year, about 3,923 people were detained for drug-related offences within the first month.