Overdose Awareness Day
July 27, 2021
Dear Community Members,
Opioid Overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. More Americans die as a result of an opioid overdose than from Breast Cancer, Guns, and Car Accidents combined. Data from 2016 shows that more people died from an overdose that year than died in the Vietnam War.
August 31, 2021, is International Overdose Awareness Day. This is a day for us to remember those who have died from fatal drug overdoses. According to recent data, opioid overdoses were up 37% in 2020. This year it is estimated that 3.500 people in North Carolina will lose their lives to overdose. To represent the thousands of sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and countless others we will be placing 3,500 flags on our grounds to represent the lives lost to the overdose epidemic in our state.
Our campus will be open and we invite you to visit the field of flags. Please come by at your convenience and choose a flag to dedicate in memory of someone that died of an overdose from Friday, August 27-Monday August 30th. In addition, we will host a community remembrance gathering with light refreshments on Tuesday, August 31 at 9:00 am.
When we talk openly about addiction people get the help they need. With the right information, resources, and support people can recover.
Yours respectfully,
Bridge to Recovery Staff
Learn more about Bridge to Recovery.