By Greg Englesbe
The staggering statistics of the opioid epidemic in the United States don’t even begin to tell the story of the suffering, loss and heartbreak felt by grieving families and communities across the country on a daily basis.
A crisis that has been raging for years only deepened during the COIVD-19 pandemic, whose overwhelming impact on our way of life obscured the relentless toll that addiction continues to take on a society in dire need of determined action.
In 2020, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. took 93,331 lives, an annual increase of more than 30%. Upwards of 69,000 fatal overdoses last year were attributed to opioids, including more than 57,000 deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to CDC data.
To put the death toll in perspective, that’s more than 250 people lost to drug overdoses every day.
Greg Englesbe Real Estate Consulting is committed to supporting important causes that help improve our collective quality of life and address problems that urgently demand our attention. Resources and strategies for containing the opioid epidemic — both now and for future generations — have never been more critically necessary.
I am proud and humbled to announced that I have made a $10,000 donation to the Victoria’s Voice Foundation, a powerful organization founded in memory of 18-year-old Victoria Siegel.
In addition to pushing for expanded access to Naloxone, the powerful and life-saving overdose reversal drug, Victoria’s Voice is leading a number of exciting new initiatives.
The Teen Talk Series leverages social media to give teens a space to discuss their experiences and celebrate a drug free life, while an educational video series launched during the pandemic aims to provide 15-minute episodes offering life lessons to middle and high school students.
Victoria’s family believes that her tragic death must light the way for other young people to pursue healthy paths, and they have made it their mission to ensure that thousands of others live through the awareness of what they have lost.
Making true progress to reduce the deadly toll of opioid use disorder and drug addiction requires a united willingness to change conversations, reverse harmful stigmas and take intentional actions that not only prevent the loss of life, but foster the long journey of healing that so many struggling families have ahead of them.
The Victoria’s Voice Foundation is an exemplary model of how to make a mark in this important movement, and I am honored to extend my support in order to help them thrive along with everyone their work continues to touch.
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