August 31-International Overdose Awareness Day
Annually, August 31 is recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day. Nonetheless, there is still a negative stigma associated with the subject of overdose and it is often considered a taboo topic to bring up in public. International Overdose Awareness Day was initiated in 2001 by Sally J. Finn of the Salvation Army in St. Kilda, Melbourne with the goal to dissolve the stigma. Since then, many community members, along with government and non-government organizations worldwide have been raising awareness about drug overdose through proclamations, public events and campaigns. I joined numerous municipalities across the nation in recognizing Saturday, August 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day with a proclamation to stress the importance of this subject. To mark International Overdose Awareness Day, the East Hartford Town Hall’s cupola has been lit up purple and will remain so through the month of September.
Through the International Overdose Awareness Day, citizens are encouraged to publicly challenge the stigma associated with drug use and overdose, offer support to affected individuals and commemorate those, whose lives have been tragically lost to overdose.
Drug use and overdose continues to be a national epidemic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017, 70,000 lives were lost to overdose nationally, which exceeds the number of American lives lost in the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars combined. In Connecticut, over a thousand lives were lost to overdose in 2018 and 2017, and these numbers continue to grow. This epidemic isn’t new to the Town of East Hartford either. In 2018, East Hartford implemented 83 administrations of Narcan—a medication that can treat narcotic overdose in an emergency situation. This year since January Narcan has been already administered 68 times. This is a dramatic figure and it doesn’t include additional statistics of Narcan implementation by families that haven’t been reported.
It is so important to make it known that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable and more must be done to save lives. Together, communities, families, and organizations must join in a shared effort to reduce the tragedy of overdose by raising awareness to dissolve the stigma around the subject. Drug overdose knows no limits and it can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, orientation, social-economic status, or background, and recognizing overdose warning signs enables and empowers families and friends to prevent overdose-related death by calling for help. As your Mayor, I will continue to make all efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. East Hartford offers a number of programs and services that provide support and counseling to families who struggle with addiction. Of note, our Youth Services Department provides a monthly Substance Abuse Prevention information sessions, an annual prevention program event called Prevention Idol along with Narcan training and more.
While it can be frightening and intimidating when a loved one reveals or demonstrates signs of drug use, it is important to be able to talk about it openly and honestly. There are a number of local and national resources available for those battling addiction. Locally, InterCommunity Health Center provides accessible, timely and responsive care to people who are seeking to recover from the effects of addictive disorders. InterCommunity can be reached at 860-569-5900 and is located at 281 Main Street in East Hartford. Additionally, 211 helpline centers have a variety of resources as well.