No one could have ever guessed that the opioid epidemic would reach the limits that it has. In the US, the scourge has made its way to ever corner of every community, dragging countless people down into boundless despair and death. 22,000 people die each year, at the hands of Big Pharma, which has laughed its way to the bank. Plenty of doctors are also being held accountable, not only for their inactions, but their role in over-prescribing, while lining their own pockets.
From August 20 to August 26, The National Safety Council (NSC) is partnering with BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York to bring an opioid memorial to Canalside that will represent the lost souls that have been adversely affected by the rampant prescribing of opioids. The memorial, called Prescribed to Death: A Memorial to the Victims of the Opioid Crisis, serves a number of purposes. Not only will people be able to gaze upon 22,000 white pills, each engraved with the face of someone who lost his or her battle to opioids in 2015, they will also be able to add the names of others (in a digital memorial) whose time came too soon at the hands of the killer. Families and friends are also encouraged to bring flowers photos, and personal effects of missed loved ones to display at the memorial (NSC cannot return items, so they are asking that people only bring what they are comfortable leaving with the exhibit).
“The most important thing about this crisis is not the statistics, but the faces,” said NSC President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman. “The data speak to our head but the individual stories speak to our hearts. The Prescribed to Death memorial not only brings visitors face to face with this everyday killer, but also encourages actions that will help us eliminate these preventable deaths.”
A number of resources will be available alongside the memorial visit:
- Information to help visitors both safely dispose of unused pills in their homes and facilitate discussions with prescribers about alternatives.
- Availability of first-of-their-kind “Opioids: Warn Me” labels to affix to their insurance cards, empowering them to discuss with prescribers the risks of taking opioids and whether other pain relief options are available.
- The Council has partnered with Stericycle, a Chicago-based waste disposal company, to provide Seal and Send medication disposal envelopes to help visitors easily get rid of unused medications. The envelopes are safe, reliable and anonymous.
Finally, there will also be a local element that should also be considered a wake up call for this community. Buffalo resident Avi Israel is lending his son Michael’s personal belongings to be part of the exhibit. Israel is the founder of Save the Michaels of the World. There will be a small remembrance room at the site, where people can walk inside to learn about Michael’s story. The following short video will be on display, sharing Israel’s account of the tragic episode.
The memorial is free and open to the public from August 20 to August 26 (daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) at Canalside.
The exhibit is underwritten by contributions from BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, Save the Michaels of the World, Stericycle, DiVal Safety & Supplies, The John R. Oishei Foundation, First Niagara Foundation, Addiction Open Access Hotline and Schneider National. Visit stopeverydaykillers.org for more information.