At a provocative memorial to victims, NSC unveils new data showing the scope of the opioid epidemic and distributes first-of-their-kind “Warn Me” labels in attempt to Stop Everyday Killers.
Chicago, IL – According to a National Safety Council poll released Nov. 9, one in four Americans personally knows someone who has overdosed or died from an opioid overdose, knows someone who has become addicted to opioids, or has become addicted themselves.

In response to the survey results – and a recommendation from the President’s Commission for Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis – NSC is launching a provocative nationwide public education campaign that literally puts a face on the opioid epidemic. Stericycle is the Council’s exclusive disposal partner on the campaign.

Stop Everyday Killers begins with the unveiling of Prescribed to Death: A Memorial to the Victims of the Opioid Crisis in Chicago. The exhibit includes a memorial wall made of pills carved with faces that represent the 22,000 people lost last year to prescription opioid overdose.

To reduce the number of opioids in circulation, NSC has created “Opioids: Warn Me” labels for insurance and pharmacy cards. These labels are intended to prompt a critical conversation between patients and prescribers about the risks of taking opioids and possible alternatives. The survey found one in three Americans prescribed an opioid in the last three years did not realize they were taking an opioid. As part of the campaign, Stericycle is providing pre-paid Seal&Send envelopes for returning unused medications.

“The most fatally abused drug today may be sitting in your medicine cabinet,” said NSC President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman. “Fortunately, we know what we need to do to eliminate more than 20,000 preventable deaths each year, and education plays a critical role. We hope the Stop Everyday Killers campaign helps personalize this tragedy in order to save lives.”

The opioid crisis is the worst drug epidemic in recorded U.S. history. Yet despite the depth of the crisis, 40% of Americans are not concerned about prescription pain medication as a health and safety threat to their family – perhaps because they do not know what they are being prescribed.

Other key survey findings include:

  • Just 20% are very confident they can spot the signs of an overdose
  • 56% say they can spot the signs of misuse or abuse; however, only 28% are very confident they would know where to go if someone close to them needed treatment
  • 63% of Americans believe opioids are very addictive, but only 43% consider fentanyl to be very addictive – even though it is significantly stronger than morphine and heroin and can cause a fatal overdose simply by inhaling it
  • Only 16% of those who start taking an opioid say they are concerned about addiction
  • 31% of Americans keep their prescription drugs for future use – a risky practice given many people with opioid misuse disorders get the drugs from friends or family who may not be disposing of them properly

“Stericycle is proud to be the exclusive pharmaceutical disposal partner of the National Safety Council,” said Stericycle President and CEO Charles A. Alutto. “At its core, Stericycle is committed to helping combat the opioid epidemic with the most comprehensive pharmaceutical disposal options in the market.”

Prescribed to Death will travel across the country over the next few months. The Chicago location, 1714 N. Damen Ave. in the Wicker Park neighborhood, is free and open to the public every day from noon to 8 p.m. CT through Nov. 16.

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