Mary Alice Reporting –
A day of remembrance and acknowledgement will be held Wednesday evening at the square in downtown New Philadelphia.
August 30th is Overdose Awareness Day and an event hosted by the ADAMH’s Board of Tuscarawas and Carrol Counties, Empower Tusc, the Tuscarawas County Health Department, and the Addiction Task Force of Tuscarawas County will begin at 6:30pm.
Committee Coordinator Jodi Salvo encourages all residents to come out and support the event.
“We will start with some music. We have a speaker, Eric Frederickson coming in, he’s a recovery coach, he’s overdosed in the past and he’s in long-term recovery.”
County Commissioner Chris Abbuhl will read proclamations for National Recovery Month and for Overdose Awareness Day. Senator Al Landis will also be in attendance.
Overall, Salvo says this will be an opportunity for the community to come together in unity and remember those lost to overdose death in the past year and over time.
“I think often stigma and shame go hand and hand with this issue, and the more as a community we can recognize that addiction is a disease process. Addiction can happen to absolutely anybody.”
Free Naloxone or Narcan, kits will be available.
Anyone struggling with addiction can contact the HOPE Line at 330-663-6812.
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