International Overdose Awareness Day Free Events Hosted by Local Grassroots Organization
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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – Families ACT, a grassroots organization founded in Santa Barbara in 2007 by mothers who lost their adult sons and daughters to overdose, is inviting the public to join us Saturday, August 31st, 2024, on International Overdose Awareness Day.
Morning Event: Park at Pershing Park lot (100 Castillo St) and gather at Band Shell
10 am WALK down Cabrillo Blvd to S Calle Cesar Chavez and back
Evening Events at Courthouse Sunken Gardens:
7 pm SPEAKERS – Supervisors Laura Capps & Das Williams, City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, Opioid Coalition Rep, community members
8 pm CANDLELIGHT VIGIL – led by Rev. David Moore w/ Emiliano Campobello on Native American flute
International Overdose Awareness Day, observed worldwide on August 31, serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating toll of drug overdose. This solemn occasion provides an opportunity for communities to come together to remember those who have tragically lost their lives, offer solace to the families and friends who bear the heavy burden of grief, and seek to stop the devastation wreaked by the spread of deadly substances such as Fentanyl.
It is a day dedicated to fostering awareness, breaking down the stigma surrounding substance use, and promoting empathy and understanding for individuals grappling with addiction. It is also a call to action. Families ACT! has been actively advocating for life-saving changes in Santa Barbara County’s behavioral health treatment system, for more treatment BEDS NOT CELLS.
The featured speakers and Open Mike part of the evening will shed light on a very complex issue from various points of view, from new or critically needed public policy to address the dramatic rise in overdose deaths, to the deeply personal stories of tragic loss, survival and recovery.