By Chloe Kunnemann, Guest Columnist
This week’s mental health column focuses on opioid abuse prevention and stimulant abuse prevention.
Specifically in Oklahoma, methamphetamine and illicit fentanyl have continuously caused overdoses throughout the state. To prevent such deaths, the state is focusing on the social, economic, demographic and environmental factors that can influence substance use. Despite methamphetamine and illicit fentanyl deaths increasing through the years, prescription opioids were the most common source of overdose death in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Health Department. The increase in illicitly manufactured fentanyl has been involved in half of the opioid-related deaths in Oklahoma.
Stimulant-involved overdose deaths seem to have risen in recent years because the drug has increased in popularity. The time it takes for the symptoms of an overdose to be seen or felt depends on the administration of the drug.
While it takes longer for the symptoms to appear if the drug is ingested orally when compared to smoking, snorting or injecting, the drug can cause an overdose nevertheless.
It is important to know that, despite not all overdoses of stimulants being fatal, it is vital to seek medical attention when showing overdose symptoms.
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, dial 988, a helpline for immediate crisis and non-emergency assistance for mental health and substance use issues. For serious medical problems or any imminent, life-threatening situation, dial 911.
Northwestern student Chloe Kunnemann wrote this column on behalf on the Northwestern Counseling & Career Services Office.