S.B. Opioid Safety Coalition – International Overdose Awareness Day

Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition Invites You to Celebrate International Overdose Awareness Day

The tragedy of overdose is far too frequent but is ultimately preventable. Overdose prevention, education and recognition play a crucial role in saving lives and we thank you for getting involved. On August 31st, International Overdose Awareness Day, the Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition (SBOSC) invites the community to visit our table at the Farmer’s Market on State St. to learn how overdose affects every single one of us and how you can make a difference. Join us at our table between 3:00 – 7:00 pm to learn more.

Each year we lose thousands of people from drug overdose globally. Some survive but suffer a permanent injury, with devastating impact to their families and friends. Santa Barbara is not immune. You may have seen it, it has happened to people around you. Tomorrow, it could happen to someone you love. This is not an invisible issue. International Overdose Awareness Day provides an opportunity for us to reflect on practical ways to prevent overdose in our community. Overdose is preventable. Knowing the real facts about drugs and what to do when you see someone experiencing an overdose DOES save lives. Overdose Day events that aim to educate our communities about drugs can really help.

The Goals of Overdose Awareness Day are:

• to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death;
• to acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose;
• to send a strong message to current and former people who use drugs that they are valued

We, the SBOSC, are playing our part to support the day with an informational table at the Santa Barbara farmer’s market on State St. Tuesday, August 31 between 3:00-7:00 pm. Together, communities, families, people who use drugs, government officials, international organizations, businesses and policy makers can come together in a shared effort to reduce the tragedy of overdose.

SBOSC knows that now more than ever, it is important for the mental health movement to come together. This is a defining moment, rife with change and conflict on multiple fronts, and an opportunity to come together collaboratively to create the future where we all have hope for recovery.

The Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition (SBOSC) serves all of Santa Barbara County and is a community coalition dedicated to saving lives and preventing opioid misuse through expanding public education and media outreach, enhancing opioid surveillance, preventing overdose and promoting Naloxone distribution, promoting safe disposal practices, encouraging early intervention, and expanding treatment access and recovery.

For more information about the Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition or International Overdose Awareness Day, you can contact Cindy Loayza or Alex Partida at vista@sbclinics.org.