Overdose Awareness Vigil held Aug. 31

Community Caring –

August 29, 2020 – As he did at last year’s inaugural event, Father Neal Longe of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church will lead the crowd in prayer, while candles will be provided by Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Funeral Home and both signs and stickers will be provided by Sticker Mule.

“We’re looking forward to educating individuals about the stigma [of addiction],” Hill said. “It could be my family, it could be yours. It could be a neighbor, it could be a parent’s neighbor. It could be anyone, at any time, anywhere.” “It’s great that we do this every year,” she added, “but this something that we should be doing daily.”

According to the state Department of Health’s most recent County Opioid Quarterly Report issued in January, there were nine opioid overdose deaths in Montgomery County in 2018, and two from January through June 2019.

Montgomery County launched a task force last year to combat the opioid epidemic, as between 2015 to 2017 the county had the highest opioid prescription rate in the state, according to the Department of Health.

Combating the negative stigma of addiction is one key step to addressing the problem, Hill said, as is increasing the availability of and training for the use of Narcan (naxolone), the nasal spray that can be used to treat decreased breathing during an opioid overdose.