March 28, 2024

Time to Remember Loved Ones and End Overdose

International Overdose Awareness Day - August 31, 2020

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Local communities in the East Bay and around the world are coming together on August 31, 2020 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.

The East Bay Regional Coalition, and their community coalition partners, are asking the community to join them in observing International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). A virtual candlelight vigil will be held on the East Bay Regional Coalition Facebook page on August 31st “We encourage members of the community with lived experience to visit our vigil and to stand in solidarity with the men and women who have been personally affected by overdose.”, says the Region’s State Opioid Response (SOR) Co-Coordinator, Madeline Marlow. Please send in personal messages and remembrances of loved ones lost– together we can reduce the stigma around drug-related deaths. You may send a message to them prior to the candlelight vigil via email at e.bayprevention@gmail.com or post to their Facebook page on August 31st.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 70,980 people across the nation died as a result of drug use in 2019. In RI, 308 drug-related fatal overdoses occurred.. By holding an event this year, the people of Barrington, Bristol, East Providence and Warren are joining themselves to a global movement for understanding, compassion, and change. In 2019, there were 874 IOAD events of all kinds, held in 39 countries.

In addition to the virtual candlelight vigil, the Coalitions will launch a mental health awareness campaign by placing lawn signs throughout the East Bay beginning on August 31st. When you see our lawn signs, please visit our Facebook page and leave a message. Our goal is to uplift the community while raising awareness for such a wide spread and stigmatized topic.

The East Bay Regional Coalition is dedicated to bringing awareness to the opioid epidemic and reducing stigma associated with the disease. The tragedy of overdose related deaths is preventable. Visit our website at www.riprevention.org for additional resources. Also, visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/EastBayRegionalCoalition, to participate in the virtual candlelight vigil on August 31, 2020.
Here is what else you can do to bring awareness and reduce stigma associated with drug overdose deaths.

  • Visit www.preventoverdoseri.org to find out how you can save lives. Naloxone is available in Rhode Island at your pharmacy without a prescription from a doctor. There is also a Naloxone training video on the Regional Coalition’s Facebook page and the BAY Team’s Youtube channel.
  • Call BH Link at 401-414-LINK (5465) to talk to a licensed counselor for yourself or with questions about family or friends. The Hope & Recovery Support Line is open all day, every day.
  • SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

A full list of the IOAD 2020 events currently planned around the world will be displayed at: https://www.overdoseday.com/activities-2020/  
International Overdose Awareness Day is convened by Penington Institute, an Australian not-for-profit.

About The East Bay Regional Coalition: The East Bay Regional Coalition is as a result of the creation of the regional task force model from The Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH). The East Bay Regional Coalition is comprised of members of municipal prevention coalitions and other community stakeholders from Barrington, Bristol, East Providence and Warren. The Coalition views prevention through a broad lens that accounts for similarities and differences between cities and towns, incorporates health promotion and substance misuse prevention strategies across the lifespan, and coordinates media and events that endeavor to increase collaboration and sustain prevention activities across the region. Contact us at (401) 247-1900 or at www.riprevention.org.

“No family should ever have to go through the pain of losing a loved one because of overdose.”

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