Make a Difference on International Overdose Awareness Day

Of the more than 72,000 preventable drug overdoses in the country in 2017, more than 47,000 involved opioids. International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held Aug. 31 each year to remember those gone too soon from overdose deaths. 

What can you do?

• Encourage your workplace to participate in IOAD observance activities
• Hold a candlelight vigil
• Offer an educational program, such as one related to preventing opioid use, in partnership with a local organization
• Provide a safe space for telling the stories of overdose victims
• Offer a large canvas and washable paint so survivors can add a handprint in memory of their loved one
• Display empty hats or shoes to represent the number of lives lost in the community
• Become a Safety Ambassador by hosting a community fundraising event
• Add the name of a loved one who died of an opioid overdose to the Celebrating Lost Loved Ones map
• Purchase or create purple wristbands, pins, shirts or other items and wear them on Aug. 31
• Research state and federal legislation that addresses opioid overdose prevention, and write to your representative
• Support NSC efforts to end the opioid epidemic by making a gift in honor of a loved one
• Find additional resources at overdoseday.com

These Resources Can Help