Time to remember loved ones and to end overdose!
Local communities in Grundy County and around the world are coming together on Saturday August 31st at 7 pm to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.
Observed on the 31st of August every year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) seeks to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use.
Asian Lantern Release and Memorial Service at Grundy County Courthouse, Grundy County Tennessee
By holding an event this year, the people of Grundy County are joining themselves to a global movement for understanding, compassion, and change.
In 2018, there were 747 IOAD events of all kinds, held in 38 countries.
People and communities came together to raise awareness of one of the world’s most urgent public health crises – one that, unfortunately, is only getting worse.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s most recent World Annual Drug Report, 585,000 people around the world died as a result of drug use in 2017.
A full list of the IOAD 2019 events currently planned around the world can be found at: https://www.overdoseday.com/activities-2019/
“We are putting on this event to honor our loved ones who have died or been injured because of an overdose, by coming together to remember them, we stand together to say that more needs to be done to end overdose in our community. Overdose can affect anybody and one of the messages of this day is that the people who overdose are our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters – they are loved and they are missed. No family should ever have to go through the pain of losing a loved one because of overdose. We encourage members of the community with lived experience to come to our event and to stand in solidarity with the men and women who have been personally affected by overdose.” said Dave Hodges of the Grundy Recovery Alliance Community Endeavor.