HARRISBURG, Pa. — Hundreds of advocates, organizers and people in recovery will gather at the Capitol today for International Overdose Awareness Day.
A ceremony will be held to honor the lives lost to drug and substance use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 106,000 people died in 2021 from overdosing.
Advocates hope that today they can stifle the stigma that comes with drug use and the shame that people who are recovering from substance and drug abuse face. International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event and an annual campaign to end overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends who have died. The color purple has been adopted internationally to signify support.
A number of organizations will also be at the Capitol to show their support as well as offer resources. Team Sharing-PA is a chapter of a national organization of parents who have lost a child to substance use disorder (SUD). Through social networking activism, grief services and advocacy, Team Sharing provides support and friendship to grieving families, as well as raises awareness of SUD.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex building. A dove release to remember the lives lost will start the event, and a number of speakers will be in attendance. The event concludes at 3 p.m.