The Choices Matter campaign hit the road with Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families, on its “Rise Up Against Addiction 5K Run/Walk” programs. Through this partnership, information on non-opioid options was distributed to thousands of 5K participants during events in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston and Atlanta.
According to the United States for Non-Dependence report, Americans are prescribed an exorbitant number of opioids. In fact, enough opioids were prescribed in 2016 for every man, woman and child in America to have 36 pills each. Armed with this information, the Choices Matter team set out to educate doctors, patients and caregivers about their options for postsurgical pain management, including non-opioids, and encourage patients to talk to their doctors about opioid alternatives.
“At Shatterproof, we’re committed to igniting conversations around addiction to raise awareness and end the stigma around this disease,” said CEO & Founder of Shatterproof, Gary Mendell. “One in 3 people in the United States are affected by substance use disorder and we are excited to partner with Choices Matter on the movement to Rise Up Against Addiction and rally communities across the country together to foster a sense of strength and support rather than shame.”
During select races, Choices Matter spokespeople shared their experiences with non-opioid options. In New York City, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Sethi discussed how surgeons can take a stand against opioid overprescribing. In Washington, D.C., Madeline Gooding spoke about her passion for ending addiction. Clinical spokesperson Dr. Scott Sigman shared his approach for minimizing patient exposure to opioids as an orthopedic surgeon to attendees in Boston, and celebrity spokesperson — NBA All-Star Grant Hill — encouraged the crowd in Atlanta to advocate for their health and talk to their doctors about non-opioid options. More than 5,000 walkers and runners participated in the events and contributed to the effort by taking the pledge for #OneLessPill.
For more information on Shatterproof 5K events visit www.shatterproof5k.org.