CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. According to the campaign’s official website, “International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died from overdose, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.”
This year’s theme is “Recognizing those people who go unseen.”
“With our theme for 2023, ‘Recognizing those people who go unseen,’ we honor the people whose lives have been altered by overdose. They are the family and friends grieving the loss of a loved one; workers in healthcare and support services extending strength and compassion; or spontaneous first responders who selflessly assume the role of lifesaver,” the campaign states on their website.
The main color for the campaign is purple, so in recognition of the day, the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA) is organizing a free purple lightbulb giveaway to help “LIGHT CALVERT PURPLE” on August 31st.
Distribution of these lightbulbs has been ongoing since August 5th, but you still have a chance to get yours!
- August 23, 2023, at the Calvert Health Medical Center in Prince Frederick from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- August 24, 2023, at the Calvert Library in Prince Frederick from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Thank you to everyone who stopped by and visited with our volunteers these past few weeks. We are encouraged by the community’s support of this outreach event as we remember those lost to overdose,” CAASA stated in a Facebook post.
The support for this campaign has been so strong that CAASA announced that they had to cancel their August 26th distribution because “we just won’t have any left!”
To learn more about International Overdose Awareness Day and how you can help, click here.
To learn more about the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, click here.
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