Missoula Commemorates International Overdose Awareness Day

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Saturday will be International Overdose Awareness Day and Missoula Public Health, along with members of the Missoula Dug Safety Coalition, are holding special events on Friday and Saturday.

I spoke with Leah Fitch-Brody, Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator with Missoula Public Health, who provided sobering statistics regarding the overdose problem.

Saturday is International Overdose Awareness Day

“In the U.S. in general over the last three years, we have lost over 100,000 people due to overdose,” began Fitch-Brody. “Then in the last decade, we've had about 170 overdoses just in Missoula County, and then around 1,537 have died from fatal overdoses in Montana.”

There will be special events and training opportunities both Friday and Saturday in Missoula.

“Starting on Friday, we are going to be doing some events and training for International Overdose Awareness Day, which happens every year on August 31^st,” she said. “Really, the purpose of the day is to raise awareness around the impact of overdose in our communities, to learn from each other, and to also really honor and remember those that we have lost in our community from overdose.”

There Will be Special Events and Training on Friday and Saturday

Fitch-Brody shared some of the events occurring on Friday.

“We are going to be having two training sessions,” she said. “The first one is in the morning, and that is looking at what can we do to prevent overdose, as well as suicide early on. This is a training around what can we do, especially to help children who may be at risk or maybe experiencing childhood trauma.”

She said there will also be training on Saturday.

READ MORE: Montana’s Fentanyl Crisis: Overdose Deaths Skyrocket

The UM Oval will be Lit Up in Purple on Saturday Night

“At noon, we'll be having another training session,” she said. “It's an overdose prevention and response training where you will get to learn how to use Narcan, which is the drug that can reverse an opioid-related overdose. That'll be at Scheels (sporting goods) in their conference room at noon."

On Saturday, there will be activities before the football game, including the lighting of the UM Oval in purple, in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day.