HAUPPAGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest campaign to end overdoses.
It’s also a day to remember, without the stigma, those who have died and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind.
“I am a person in long-term recovery — I have four years in recovery — and I lost my son’s father to an overdose,” recovered addict Stephanie Camilliti said Tuesday at THRIVE Long Island.
Camilliti, of Lake Grove, said she wants to share the story of her survival.
“I definitely think that this day is important to help reduce that stigma and to bring awareness,” she said.
“We need some action. This is the time where the rubber hits the road,” said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds. “The reality is, over the course of the past year, there are 391 Long Islanders who lost their lives to overdose.”
Fatal drug overdoses surged during the pandemic on Long Island — more than 34%.
Earlier this month, a dozen men and women from the East End accidentally overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl. Six died, and two men claiming their innocence were arrested in connection with the case.
Experts say overdoses are linked to social isolation, financial anxieties and mental health challenges caused by the pandemic.
“COVID is not an excuse. This is a day of memorial, it’s a day of education and awareness, but it’s a call to arms. We need to do more. Who’s with us?” Steve Chassman, of Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addition (LICADD), said. “We need to do more. Who’s with us?”
Their slogan, “Time to Remember. Time to Act,” acknowledges a difficult day in a difficult year.
Advocates say by observing International Overdose Awareness Day, one becomes part of a global movement for a better world.
from CBS New York https://ift.tt/2Izr88c