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Drug overdose is now a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. In 2008 testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Medical Epidemiologist Dr. Leonard J. Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in 2005 (the most recent year for which data is available) more than 22,000 American lives were lost to this largely preventable tragedy, and the number is growing rapidly.

Drug Policy Alliance, a national non-profit organization in early 2009 announced a "Purple Ribbons for Overdose Prevention" campaign to draw attention to the problem of drug overdose and to encourage the implementation of measures to reduce it.