Many hundreds of thousands of people around the world lose their lives to overdose each year. [Nearly 110,000 Americans lost their lives to overdose in 2022, an increase of roughly four per cent from 2021 and the second consecutive year of more than 100,000 overdose deaths]. An estimated 1,501 of those deaths were in West Virginia in 2021. They were our children, parents, siblings, partners, neighbours, colleagues, and friends.
There is strong evidence to support practical solutions, such as providing free naloxone and fentanyl testing kits and improving access to opioid substitution treatment. All of these have been shown to reduce deaths and other harms caused by overdose.
This is a multifaceted health crisis with few easy answers, but there is one very simple way for you to support our cause this year. On International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the Roane County Prevention Coalition will be doing our part to raise awareness in Roane County by hosting a brief ceremony of remembrance on the Courthouse Lawn in Spencer, WV at 11:00 AM.
The coalition would like to welcome the public to join us to mark this important date and begin a conversation with the people in your community whose lives have been touched by overdose. , The coalition encourageseveryone to think about ways they can address overdose issues in our community.
Learn more about IOAD and the harsh realities of overdose at https://www.overdoseday.com/.
