WEST SENECA, N.Y. — Earlier this spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that U.S. drug overdoses reached an all-time high last year with over 100,000 Americans dying from overdose deaths.
With Fentanyl driving those numbers even higher, more communities, including right here in Western New York, are taking action to raise more awareness in hopes of saving more lives.
Aug. 31 is International Drug Overdose Awareness Day, a day to commemorate lives lost too soon due to drug overdoses and a day to remind people about the importance of sharing as many informational resources as possible with those in need.
To recognize the importance of this day members of the community and community health experts from various organizations gathered at Veteran's Memorial Park in West Seneca to fight stigma and share life saving informational and useful resources, including Narcan training.
Cherie Massore works with Spectrum Health and Human Services and says bringing people together to to fight this growing epidemic is important.
"Nobody is immune regrettably from being addicted no one is also exempt from helping someone recover." Massore says. "We do this without stigma we do this with honor because we are honoring lives and we're working together to create a world where there won't be one more."
Other organizations including: Evergreen Health Services, Endeavor Health Services, Horizon Health Services and Kids Escaping Drugs were also on-hand to provide assistance to families and people who are in recovery.
Massore tells 2 On Your Side's Liz Lewin, "Prior to COVID deaths of overdose in Erie County had actually been trending down for the past few years since COVID regrettably that trend has reversed itself and that trend is increasing."