Dear FED UP! Advocate

April 2015

Dear FED UP! Advocate,

Thank you for requesting information about organizing a FED UP! Rally in your local area on August 31st, International Overdose Awareness Day.

This toolkit contains some background information and Part One of your Guide to Planning a FED UP! Rally. Part Two will follow shortly.

The toolkit includes the following information:

About the FED UP! Coalition
About International Overdose Awareness Day
Facts about Addiction and Overdose
“How to be FED UP!” – A Guide to Planning a FED UP! Rally – Part One
Appendix A – Draft public invitation to your Rally
Appendix B - Draft invitation for legislators and other special guests

Please review this information and let us know if you have any questions. You can reach us at .

Your local Rally, in combination with our annual FED UP! Rally in Washington, D.C., will help us create one loud voice calling for immediate federal action to end our nation’s epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths.

Thank you very much!

Chelsea Laliberte

Chair, International Overdose Awareness Day Committee

FED UP! Rally

About the FED UP! Coalition

Who Are We? We are families who have been ripped apart by opioids. We have lost loved ones to death or addiction. We are medical experts and advocates who understand that the root cause of the problem is overprescribing. This is a grassroots coalition, all seeking action from the federal government to bring this public health crisis to an end.. We accept no money from pharmaceutical companies or their affiliates and 100% of the donations we receive are directly applied to managing the costs of holding our Fed Up! Rallies. We are beholden to no one – except our lost loved ones, or our family members struggling with addiction. We have come together to save lives.

The mission of The FED UP! Coalition is to create one voice calling for an end to the epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths attributed to opioids (including heroin) and other prescription drugs.

We are in the midst of the worst drug addiction epidemic in United States history.

The epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths caused by narcotic painkillers and heroin (the class of drugs known as opioids) is our nation’s most urgent public health problem.
Overprescribing of opioids for common conditions is resulting in skyrocketing rates of addiction.
Many opioid addicted individuals are switching from painkillers to heroin.
The epidemic is having a catastrophic impact on families and communities and is placing tremendous strain on our health care system, businesses, and local and state governments.
To date, the response from some federal agencies has been slow and tragically ineffective.

The Platform of the FED UP! Coalition

Together, we must find new ways to:

Prevent our children, friends, and loved ones from becoming addicted to opioids;
Ensure that people suffering from opioid addiction have access to affordable, evidence-based treatment;
Support and enable recovery;
Reduce opioid overdose deaths.

To these ends, we – the Fed Up! Coalition – call on our federal government to take the following actions:

(1) Take all measures necessary to ensure that opioids and other controlled substances are prescribed more cautiously.

(2) Prohibit pharmaceutical companies from advertising controlled substances to prescribers and consumers.

(3) Ensure passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act by the U.S. Congress.

(4) Immediately reduce barriers to buprenorphine treatment.

(5) Allocate more funding for evidence based treatment and prevention programs, especially to communities hit hardest by the epidemic.

(6) Ensure that public and private health insurance carriers adequately reimburse evidence-based addiction treatment, including long-term treatment programs.

(7) Improve legal protection for naloxone use with a federal Good Samaritan law and make naloxone widely available in a variety of settings and to first-responders, family members, addiction treatment providers and to anyone who may have an opportunity to rescue an overdose victim.

(8) Support the more effective and widespread use of Electronic Prescribing and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) that can be used to identify individuals in need of addiction treatment as well as risky prescribers.

These commonsense interventions could save countless lives and

help bring this epidemic under control.

About International Overdose Awareness Day

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year that aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends, remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. International Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable.

Facts about Addiction and Overdose Deaths

The opioid addiction epidemic began in the late 1990s, as prescriptions for opioid painkillers began to soar. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the increased prescribing of opioids led to parallel increases in opioid addiction and overdose deaths. With 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. is consuming more than 80% of the world’s oxycodone and more than 99% of the hydrocodone supply. Over the past 15 to 20 years:

The consumption of opioid painkillers quadrupled
The rate of opioid addiction increased by 900%
More than 220,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose (175,000 from painkillers and 45,000 from heroin)
From 2010 to 2013, overdose deaths involving heroin rose from 3036 to 8257, an increase of 171%
From 2004 to 2013, infants treated in intensive care units for opioid dependence increased 285%
Rates of Hepatitis C infection have sharply increased in young, non-urban heroin injectors who began opioid use with painkillers
In some communities, the incidence of HIV infection among opioid injectors is rising
In many parts of the country, there are waiting lists for opioid addiction treatment, especially for buprenorphine (Suboxone)
Despite evidence that long-term opioid use is more likely to harm pain patients than help them, the FDA continues to approve new opioid painkillers and permits drug companies to promote opioids for common conditions
Since President Obama took office in 2008, more than 125,000 Americans have died from an opioid overdose death yet he has never once spoken publicly about this crisis

“How To Be FED UP!” On International Overdose Awareness Day

A Guide for Local Rally Teams – Part One

Introduction

On behalf of the FED UP! Coalition, we are grateful for your support in our efforts to end the opioid overdose epidemic. This toolkit is meant to serve as a supportive guide in planning for and executing your local International Overdose Awareness Day rally. We understand that the capabilities of all local rally teams vary. To accommodate for all circumstances, we have created a step-by-step process to include both required and optional aspects. This is Part One, and Part Two will follow shortly.

One Loud Voice Across One Big Continent

We are expecting to have over 30 simultaneous local rallies from coast-to-coast in cities in both the U.S. and Canada. Our philosophy behind this is simple: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. The more of us that rally, the louder our voice will be, and the greater the impact we will have. Some states/provinces will have multiple rallies while others will have one in which independent advocates and organizations will join forces in a peaceful demonstration at a local federal building. Our messages are meant to educate and ask for what we want from our federal government: SOLUTIONS to the raging opioid epidemic.

Initial Steps:

Tend to the details!
Learn about the Fed Up! Coalition and International Overdose Awareness Day.
Familiarize yourself with the Fed Up! Coalition Platform and International Overdose Awareness Day by reading through the documents included in this toolkit.

The recommended date is Monday, August 31st

The recommended time is 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Location, Location, Location
We are calling for a federal response to the opioid epidemic, which means our target audience is the federal government. Do you know where the federal buildings are in your area? If you are unsure, or if there is not one located nearby, we are here to help! Please contact Karen Carlini at for guidance on what location would work best for your area and have the greatest impact.
Many federal buildings might require a permit to gather publicly. Once a location has been selected, call the building administrator (Karen can help with this) to determine the process for obtaining a permit. Please complete this process in a timely manner in order to secure the location. If you have already selected your location, please let Karen know.

Recruitment Time
Don’t go it alone! There are many other individuals or organizations in your location that are like-minded and want to do something to end this epidemic. These people could include treatment facilities, government workers, healthcare providers, impacted families, and beyond! Find those who are motivated and ready to act to help you plan, organize, promote and execute on the day! Please see the attached Appendix A for a draft of a letter that could be sent to those you think might want to help.
What roles need to be filled?
This depends on the size and details of your event, but a Steering Committee would helpful to you with the planning and staging of your Rally. Here are some things to consider as you look for volunteers and organize your Rally:
Speakers: By creating a small speaking area and having a few speakers, your Rally will have a greater impact. Depending on the size and location of your Rally, staging and a sound system may be necessary. On the following page is information about how to identify some “powerful voices” that might be willing to speak at your Rally. Please see the attached Appendix B for a draft of a letter that could be sent to legislators and/or other special guests you might want to invite.
Greeter: You will have a lot to do -- so it's good to designate someone specifically to attend to the people who come to your event, greeting them as they arrive, talking with them, making them feel welcome, and signing them in. This will help you enroll more people in your important work.
Emcee: This person starts and concludes the rally, introduces speakers, and keeps the program on time. Think of this person as the "master of ceremonies."
Cheerleader: This person identifies chants and cheers and leads them at the rally.
Visuals & Sign Coordinator: This person is in charge of coordinating those who will make or print signs and other visuals for the event. Part Two of this toolkit will include marketing materials, signage options, and messaging for you to use.
Media Coordinator: A press release template with instructions will be provided in Part Two of this toolkit. It's really important to get the media to cover your event - news coverage educates other constituents on the issue, and puts additional pressure on our target audiences.
Sponsors: You may want to find sponsors for your event to help cover any costs. If you decide to do this, please remember that FED UP! Rally does not accept financial support from entities that could be perceived as a conflict of interest, including companies that manufacture or distribute opioid analgesics and non-profit organizations that receive funding from these companies

“What do we want?! Change! When do we want it?! Now!”
An effective rally can be as basic as several folks standing outside of their federal building, holding signs to show where they stand on an issue. Or it can be much more involved -- to include a full program of speakers, a hefty recruitment effort, and partner organizations. We are leaving it up to you to make your local rally your own with just one requirement … that your Rally include a focus on the actions requested in the platform of the FED UP! Coalition as included in this toolkit.

Powerful Voices Carry the Message!
Here are a few examples of speakers it makes sense to invite:
Your elected officials including members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, your Governor, your mayor and other local officials. We want our elected officials to stand united with us. Use the draft letter in Appendix B and the information below to contact them:
U.S. Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
U.S. Representatives:http://www.house.gov/representatives/
Governors:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Governors.shtml
Impacted advocates - grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, children of those lost to overdose
Individuals in recovery
Physicians/prescribers
Treatment or healthcare professionals
Community leaders

We are grateful for your willingness to help with a FED UP! Rally in your local area. These rallies, held simultaneously across the U.S. and Canada, will go a long way in drawing much needed attention to this public health crisis. While we are unable to help you with all of the details of planning your Rally, please feel free to contact us if you have questions about the information in this toolkit. We hope that it will be helpful. Part Two is coming soon.

Key Contacts:

General Questions:

Chelsea Laliberte

FED UP! IOAD Committee Chair

Email:

Tina Franco

FED UP! IOAD Local Rally Coordinator

Email:

Event Location Assistance:

Karen Carlini

FED UP! IOAD Location Coordinator

Email:

Media/Communications:

Dr. Andrew Kolodny

FED UP! IOAD Communications Coordinator

Email:

FED UP! Coalition Information:

Judy Rummler

FED UP! Coalition Chair

Email:

Appendix A to Toolkit DRAFT INVITATION LETTER

Dear {Name of Friend/Family Member/Colleague/etc.},

We are rallying on International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday, August 31st from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at {Location of Event}, and invite you to join us. It is our hope that you will want to be a part of this rally and join us in calling for an immediate and coordinated federal response to the national opioid crisis.

Many of our friends and families in (name of town, county or state/province) have been impacted by the opioid addiction epidemic, a problem that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the “worst drug epidemic in U.S. history.” Since the epidemic began in the late 1990s, more than 220,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses (175,000 from painkillers and 45,000 from heroin). Drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed and now surpass motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death. However, overdose deaths are just the tip of an iceberg. Other consequences of our opioid crisis include soaring rates of opioid addiction, opioid-related hospital visits and infants born opioid-dependent. This crisis is devastating our families throughout (name of your state/province)!
The FED UP! Coalition is working to organize rallies to be held simultaneously on August 31st in cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada. It will be a day for peaceful demonstrations calling for action, and a day to remember the thousands who have been lost to overdose. No one is immune to the disease of addiction. It’s time to speak out against the stigma and the policies that have led to this epidemic.

Participation in our International Overdose Awareness Day Rally is free. Anyone wishing to be involved is welcome.

To get involved with our rally or to join us on August 31, please contact {Name} at {Phone Number} or {Email Address}.

Sincerely,

{Name}

Coordinator for FED UP! Rally in Town/Area

(Your contact Information)

Visit us at

Appendix B to Toolkit - DRAFT LEGISLATOR or SPECIAL GUEST INVITE LETTER

Dear (enter name of legislator or other special guest),

On behalf of (name of your organization) and FED UP!, a grass roots coalition of organizations on the front line of our nation’s opioid addiction epidemic, I am writing to invite you to the International Overdose Awareness Day event on Monday, August 31st at (specific time & location of rally). It is our hope that you will be available to provide brief remarks and to join us in asking the federal government for an urgent and coordinated response to the national opioid crisis.

As you know only too well, many of our friends and families in (name of town, county or state/province) have been impacted by the opioid addiction epidemic, a problem that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the “worst drug epidemic in U.S. history.” Since the epidemic began in the late 1990s, more than 220,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses (175,000 from painkillers and 45,000 from heroin). Drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed and now surpass motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death. However, overdose deaths are just the tip of an iceberg. Other consequences of our opioid crisis include soaring rates of opioid addiction, opioid-related hospital visits and infants born opioid-dependent. And among opioid addicted individuals who transition to injection use of pills or heroin we are seeing rising rates of hepatitis C infection and HIV. This crisis is devastating our families throughout (name of your state/province)!

Community groups, county and state agencies and legislators from across (name of your state/province) are working hard to bring this crisis under control through efforts to expand access to naloxone, to improve access to addiction treatment and to raise awareness of the problem. Unfortunately, the federal government has offered very little. We need the Obama administration to do its part- by allocating the appropriate resources and by making sure federal agencies are working together in a coordinated fashion. Thus far, the federal response has been slow and tragically ineffective. And one agency in particular, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is actually pouring fuel on the fire by approving a steady stream of dangerous new opioids- even over the objection of its own advisors.

We hope you will lend your voice to ours on August 31, 2015 in asking President Obama, his federal agencies, and Congress to do everything it can to help us bring this public health crisis to an end.

Sincerely,

{Name}

Coordinator for FED UP! Rally in Town/Area

(Your contact Information)

Visit us at

FED UP! Rally Toolkit Page 1 of 10