08/31/2026
Today, Rapid Risk Reduction join communities across the country and around the world in recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day and honoring the lives lost to overdose.
Behind every number is a person. A son or daughter. A mother or father. A brother or sister. A friend, neighbor, coworker, or loved one whose absence continues to be felt by the people who knew them.
International Overdose Awareness Day is an opportunity to remember those we have lost, support those who continue to struggle, and stand beside the families and communities carrying the weight of those losses.
For many, overdose is not an abstract issue. It is something that has touched their families, their neighborhoods, and their communities directly.
The grief does not disappear when the headlines move on, and the people we have lost should never become statistics.
Today, we remember them by name, by story, and by the lives they lived, not simply by how they died.
We also recognize the families, friends, recovery advocates, first responders, healthcare professionals, peer support specialists, and countless community members who continue to show up every day in the face of this crisis.
On this International Overdose Awareness Day, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to every family and individual who has lost someone to overdose.
We remember those we have lost. We stand with those who are still here. And we remain committed to a future where fewer families have to experience this loss.
