Citation

Woodward CA, Issa FS, Caneva DC, Voskanyan A, Gadhia RA, Hart A, Hertelendy AJ, DiGregorio DA, Ciottone RG, Ciottone GR. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2023.173

PMID

37705279

Abstract

For the first time in history, the United States surpassed 100,000 overdose-related deaths in a 12-month period, driven by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Also for the first time, potential chemical weapons are readily available on the streets and the dark web. Opioids represent a rare trifecta, used for licit pain management, as an illicit drug of abuse, and with potential use as a weapon of terror. Community-based Response to Drug Overdose (CReDO) is an initiative to unite agencies, disciplines, government and private partners in one coordinated opioid emergencies response plan under nationwide standards, and can be integrated into the Disaster Medicine discipline due to the risk of mass casualty incidents involving fentanyl or its derivatives. Attention to the opioid crisis through CReDO will save lives by promoting information sharing between disciplines, shortened response time to overdose clusters, community collaboration to identify criminal distribution networks, and holistic approaches to addiction.

Language: en

Keywords

public health; disaster medicine; counter-terrorism medicine; CReDO; opioid crisis