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🌍 International Overdose Awareness Day 2023


Gaston County and other communities around the world are coming together on August 31, to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.


Why it matters: Observed on August 31 every year, International Overdose Awareness Day seeks to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use.


Join the Gaston Controlled Substances Coalition from 6:00 to 7:00PM on August 31, 2023, at the Main Branch of the Gaston County Library to:

  • understand how overdose affects each one of us

  • remember the loved ones we have lost

By holding an event this year, the people of Gaston County are joining themselves to a global movement for understanding, compassion, and change.


International Overdose Awareness Day is convened by Penington Institute, an Australian not-for-profit. This year for the first time, they have announced a campaign theme: Recognizing those who go unseen.

Dig deeper:

Learn more about the GCSC at opioidsafegaston.org.

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