Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will observe Ohio’s third annual Overdose Awareness Day on Thursday, Aug. 31. Established in 2021 by Senate Bill 30, Ohio Overdose Awareness Day aims to raise public awareness and remember the lives lost to the ongoing national opioid epidemic. It also helps usher in September as Recovery Month.

 “Overdose Awareness Day is a day when we can come together as a community, remembering those who have lost their lives due to overdose and celebrating those who are in long-term recovery from substance use disorders,” said Governor DeWine. “Overdose Awareness Day is ultimately about hope.”

To help local communities promote Overdose Awareness Day, leaders from Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) have created an Ohio Overdose Awareness Day Toolkit. The toolkit includes social media graphics and posts, videos, posters, and digital ads that can be used by local communities and organizations to raise awareness. The toolkit also aims to educate Ohioans on what to do in an overdose situation and how to get help for someone struggling with addiction.

“Overdose Awareness Day honors those who have lost their lives to drug overdoses. It also emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about overdose risks, reducing stigma around substance use, and advocating for accessible treatment and harm reduction strategies,” said Aimee Shadwick, director of Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative. “The day encourages communities to come together to support individuals struggling with addiction and promote education and prevention efforts.”

Communities throughout Ohio will host local awareness celebrations with the aid of funding provided by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). OhioMHAS provided mini-grants totaling more than $600,000 to 39 Ohio counties, nearly triple the number of counties that hosted events in 2022. ODH also provided grants to support awareness celebrations, contributing $445,400 to 21 local health departments and 41 Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) sites.

In addition to purple flags and other symbolic displays to remember Ohioans lost to overdoses, many local events will feature inspiring recovery stories, promote local treatment and recovery support service options, food, and entertainment. In many areas, local health department officials and Project DAWN groups will distribute free naloxone and fentanyl test strips.

“Under Governor DeWine’s leadership, we have worked very hard to fight stigma and confront other barriers to treatment that prevent people from getting the help they need to achieve wellness and reach their full potential,” said OhioMHAS Director Criss. “Overdose Awareness Day not only brings dignity to those we’ve lost and those currently facing substance use challenges – it sets the stage for important community conversations about addiction and helps to promote greater access to prevention, treatment and recovery support services.”

As part of this year’s observance, state officials are also promoting Naloxone.Ohio.gov, an online resource that provides Ohioans with a simplified process for obtaining free naloxone, a life-saving drug used to reverse an opioid overdose. The website makes requesting naloxone as seamless as possible for all Ohioans, whether they are a first responder, community member, or distribution site, and enhances access to prevention and treatment information.

“Every overdose death is a tragedy, and some of these deaths could be preventable if more people carried naloxone,” said Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA. “That’s why our department is focused on getting naloxone into as many hands as possible.”

ODH manages the Project DAWN program, which continues to provide increasing numbers of naloxone kits. In 2014, the program distributed 2,894 kits, which resulted in 190 known overdose reversals. In 2022, the number of kits distributed had grown to 205.584 and the known overdose reversals to 18,244.

In recognition of Overdose Awareness Day, state flags displayed at all state buildings and public institutions will be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset. Read Governor DeWine’s proclamation for Overdose Awareness Day. Visit RecoveryOhio.Gov for more information on what Ohio is doing to combat opioid addiction and prevent overdose deaths.