In efforts to raise overdose awareness worldwide, several organizations in the community took part in Overdose Awareness Day in downtown Kent Thursday evening.
Between the waves of purple signifying overdose awareness, Townhall II, AxessPointe, Medmark, Coleman Health Services and University Hospitals Portage, among more, made their services such as counseling, housing and assistance to those struggling with addiction, known to the public at the tables set up around the Franklin Street gazebo.
Marking the 3rd year of Overdose Awareness Day in Ohio, it was first acknowledged by state legislation in 2021 when Gov. Mike DeWine passed Senate Bill 30.
“Overdose Awareness Day honors those who have lost their lives to drug overdoses,” Aimee Shadwick, director of the governor’s RecoveryOhio initiative, said in a press release. “It also emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about overdose risks, reducing stigma around substance abuse and advocating for accessible treatment and harm reduction strategies.”
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County hosted the event and held a large presence with their table in the center of the gazebo. Karyn Kravetz, the associate director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County, distributed free Narcan kits and provided information on drug abuse.
Mitigating the number of overdose deaths in Ohio was a concept stressed by organizations at the event. The Ohio Department of Health reported in 2020, 81% of overdose deaths statewide resulted from illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs.
“Overdose Awareness Day is a day when we can come together as a community, remembering those who have lost their lives due to overdose and celebrating those who are in long-term recovery from substance use disorders,” DeWine said in a press release.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services provided $600,000 to 39 counties to help host local events in efforts against drug abuse and overdoses. In addition, RecoveryOhio, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services partnered together to provide toolkits with social media graphics and videos for local communities to raise awareness across the state.
A large part of the Mental Health and Addiction Services’ efforts to reduce overdose deaths has focused on the distribution of naloxone.
“Every overdose death is a tragedy, and some of these deaths could be preventable if more people carried naloxone,” Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MDA, and Ohio Department of Health director said in a press release.
Naloxone, also commonly known as Narcan, is a medicine that rapidly reduces opioid overdoses by attaching to opioid receptors and blocking their effects. With an increase in overdose incidents, the Ohio Department of Health continues to work on making naloxone more readily available to the public.
The Ohio Department of Health’s Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone), is an organization dedicated to education and distributing Narcan to Ohio citizens. At the event, they were providing free Narcan as well as training on how to use it.
In 2014, Project DAWN distributed 2,894 naloxone kits, compared to 2022, when there were 205,584 kits distributed which led to 18,244 reported overdose reversals.
To apply for free naloxone, visit naloxone.ohio.gov. It is now also available for purchase over-the-counter at local pharmacies.
Andrew Bowie is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
