“The national COVID pandemic made the nation’s drug overdose epidemic worse.” “Nearly 70,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose in 2020” (National Center for Health Statistic). There has been an increase in the abuse of opioids in African American and Latinos communities before and even more so since the onset of the COVID pandemic. One prevailing theme is the fact that the epidemic now is driven by illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, methamphetamine, and cocaine, often in combination or in adulterated forms. Overdose related to prescription opioids and heroin remain high and also are increasingly contaminated with illicit fentanyl.’ (AMA, 2021).

Goals/Objectives:

• Introduction- “What do you know about Opioids Quiz”

• Participants will explain the root causes of the Opioid pandemic.

• To summarize how the COVID pandemic has impacted the abuse of opioids.

• To list the signs and symptoms of different stages of opioid use and commonly abused prescription medications.