Athens paves the way for global overdose prevention efforts

News

Athens recently received international recognition for its efforts in drug overdose prevention. Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis accepted one of the five prestigious awards at the inaugural “Partnership for Healthy Cities” (PHC) Summit in London earlier this month, where over 50 cities participated.

The Greek parliament has also taken significant steps to simplify the availability of naloxone, a life-saving antidote for drug overdoses. The administration of this antidote can now provide hope to families of addicts, potentially saving their loved ones from fatal overdose situations.

“Naloxone can make the difference between life and death. That is why we fought this battle with such passion. We now move from theory to practice. And this means that a mother who has naloxone at home can administer it and save her child,” Bakoyannis said.

The Athens Naloxone program began three years ago in collaboration with various organizations, including the Hellenic Scientific Society for AIDS & Sexually Transmitted & Emerging Diseases, the Hellenic Liver Patients Association “Prometheus,” and the Ministry of Citizen Protection. The goal of the program is to help individuals addicted to substances overcome their addiction while keeping them alive during the process.

Risk of overdose in psychoactive substance users ranges from 30% to 70%, with an estimated 5% leading to death. Athens worked with Vital Strategies to address this problem, which intensified during the financial crisis, resulting in a higher rate of deaths among intravenous drug users.

The Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC), organized by the World Health Organization, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Vital Strategies, awarded four other cities for their public health initiatives. Bangalore, India, received an award for reducing smoking in public places, Mexico City for its road safety progress and promotion of bicycle use, Montevideo, Uruguay, for healthy eating regulations in government buildings and universities, and Vancouver, Canada, for an online public health data tool tracking population health indicators.

Since the PHC’s establishment in 2017, its global network of 70 cities has focused on implementing stronger public health policies, such as tobacco control, food policy, road safety, non-communicable disease surveillance, and drug overdose prevention for substance users. The recognition of Athens’ drug overdose prevention policies highlights the city’s commitment to improving public health and saving lives, inspiring other cities to follow suit.