Information and Resources about International Drug Overdose Awareness Day
The Family Counseling Center is reaching out to the community in advance of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2022. Begun in 2001 in Australia, International Overdose Awareness Day provides an opportunity to increase awareness of drug overdose, commemorate those who have been lost to overdose, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind.
The campaign raises awareness of overdose and starts conversations about evidence-based overdose prevention and drug policy while also acknowledging the profound grief felt by families and friends of those who have lost loved ones to drug overdose.
Worldwide, an estimated 585,000 people die each year due to drug overdose. According to the United Nations Office on Drug & Crime’s (UNODC) 2021 World Drug Report, 36 million people suffer from drug use disorders with 11 million estimated using injected drugs. North America has the highest drug-related death rate in the world according to UNODC. In April, the Centers for Disease Control released a report showing that over 90,000 people died in the United States between September 2019 and September 2020 from drug overdose.
Know the signs
It is important to know the signs of overdose however, signs and symptoms vary according to the substance taken. Overdose fact sheets are available on The Family Counseling Center’s website here:
In addition, New York State Department of health will be leading a two-day virtual event to honor the lives of individuals lost or severely injured due to drug overdose. The event will be held September 14 & 15, 2022. More information is available here.
The Family Counseling Center of Fulton County has been serving the community since 1976 and ensures a broad range of superior, quality, evidence-based, behavioral support and social services to the community. The Center is licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, providing services to children as young as five years old. For more information about the Family Counseling Center, its services, or how you can become a volunteer, please go to www.thefamilycounselingcenter.org.