AND THOSE LEFT BEHIND –
March 6, 2024 – “The black balloon is a symbolism of death, and today is Black Balloon Day,” said Tahira Malik, founder of Samad’s House. “Historically, when you go to a funeral, you’re wearing colors of black because you’re in mourning. We commemorate the lives that were lost due to overdose deaths because it did not have to happen.
We do have the power to not let it happen. We do have the power to recognize the signs of a drug overdose. We do have the power to come together as a community to give the education to individuals so that if you see someone overdosing, you can save their life. You have that power. Keep Narcan on you. You have that power to say, I’m not judging you, because that’s the biggest barrier. You have to be relatable. You have to let people know that they can approach you. And that’s where it begins.”
According to Samad’s House, for the second consecutive year, Milwaukee County surpassed a record total of 600 fatal overdoses. From 1999 to 2020, Wisconsin saw a 900 percent increase in opioid-involved overdose deaths.
