Photo from Genesee County Prevention Coalition
In Genesee County in the most recent 12-month period 203 people passed away from an overdose, and there were 1,545 Emergency Department visits for a suspected overdose. In Michigan, there were 2,795 overdose deaths during the same 12-month period in 2022/23. (MDHHS, 2023).[ii]
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died from overdose, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.
The IOAD 2023 theme “Recognizing those people who go unseen” is about acknowledging people in our communities who are affected by overdose but might go unseen in the crisis. Learn more about the 2023 campaign here.
On August 31, 2023, the people of Genesee County will observe the twenty-third annual International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). This annual global event aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. In 2021, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yielded an estimate of 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States, an increase of 15 per cent from 2020. Two-thirds of these deaths involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
The United States reported an age-adjusted mortality of 216 per 1 million people for the 15–64-year age bracket for 2019[i]. Through awareness events like this we can build a community of recovery and hope.
Eleven community groups across Genesee County will host public or private events to remember loved ones lost to an overdose death and to raise awareness to take action to prevent future overdose deaths. The public is invited to attend any of these events:
Genesee County Calendar of Events for Overdose Awareness Day:
Wednesday, 8/30/2023
Salvation Army Overdose Awareness Day Chapel Service
Location: The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center at 2200 N. Dort Hwy Flint, Mi 48506
Time: 5:30pm
Thursday, 8/31/2023
Take Back Flint Overdose Awareness Day Event
Location: Hasselbring Senior Center 1002 W Home Ave, Flint, MI 48505
Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Serenity House of Flint Overdose Awareness Day Event
Location: Meet at Serenity House 1019 Church Street, Flint, Michigan 48502, Service to take place across the street at Memorial Park 1026 Church St, Flint, MI 48502
Time: 12-1p.m/
Wellness Services Overdose Awareness Day Event
Location: Flint Public Library in the Mott Room- 1026 E Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48503
Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
Overdose Awareness Day Demonstration Hosted by Greater Flint Health Coalition, Flint ReCAST, and Quick Response Team.
Location: Brush Alley Park Downtown Flint
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Promise of Hope Family Support Group
Location: East Flint Church of Nazarene 3515 N. Belsay Rd. Flint, MI 48506
Time: 7 p.m.
In addition to these community events the Genesee County Prevention Coalition (GCPC) has staged three sites in Genesee County with 1,050 purple flags which represents the number of lives lost to a drug overdose death in Genesee County over the past five years. The location of these sites include:
Mott Community College, Main Campus, Court St. Entrance
Mott Community College, Southern Lakes Branch Center, Fenton
Flint Genesee Job Corps Center, 2400 N. Saginaw Street, Flint, MI 48505
Special thanks to the Mott Foundation for once again illuminating their downtown Flint building in purple on Thursday evening in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day.
For more information on IOAD, visit overdoseday.org.
For local resources contact the Genesee County Prevention Coalition thegcpc.org/partners-in-prevention-portal/.
For a calendar of events go to https://www.thegcpc.org/international-overdose-awareness-day/
For more information contact Lisa Fockler at lfockler@thegcpc.org or call the GCPC at (810) 285-9047.
[i] Penington Institute (2022). Global Overdose Snapshot. National Centre for Health Statistics, 2022.
UNODC (2022). World Drug Report 2022.
[ii] MDHHS. (2023). Michigan Overdose Data to Action Dashboard. Retrieved from Michigan Overdose Data to Action Dashboard: https://www.michigan.gov/opioids/category-data
