Saturday, August 31, 2013 is International Overdose Awareness Day, and Women With A Vision will be participating in a day of community outreach to raise awareness about the reality of overdoses in New Orleans and across the nation. At 3:00 p.m. WWAV will be tabling under the Claiborne Avenue overpass at Claiborne and Esplanade Avenues, offering education materials on overdose and harm reduction, working to address the stigma associated with overdose, providing information and resources to the community about how overdoses can be prevented, and collecting stories to support the passage of Good Samaritan 911 legislation in the state of Louisiana. WWAV invites community members to come by for more information and to sign up to get involved!
Overdose Awareness Day has been a key remembrance event for those who have died from fatal drug overdoses since 2001. On August 31 thousands of people worldwide will stand beside the friends and families of fatal overdose victims to help the wider community understand that drug overdose is a social issue and no one is immune to drug harm. WWAV outreach workers will be wearing silver badges signifying the loss of someone to drug overdose, and will be inviting community members to wear the badge to show their solidarity with the aims of International Overdose Awareness Day 2013 and the theme of Prevention and Remembrance.
Overdose fatality rates are expanding in Louisiana and across the nation. Drug overdose was responsible for 38,329 deaths in the U.S. in 2010. In 2010, and for the third year in a row, the number of U.S. citizens whose deaths were drug-related exceeded the number of fatalities in road traffic accidents. The last national study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 15 people per 100,000 people die of overdose yearly in the state of Louisiana – one of the highest rates in the nation.
Although many overdose deaths can be prevented, most people do not call 911 because they fear being arrested or prosecuted for drug possession. WWAV believes that overdose deaths are preventable through public education campaigns and simple, cost-free legislation. WWAV is advocating for the passage of 911 Good Samaritan laws in Louisiana, which would encourage witnesses to an overdose to call emergency services and save a life without fear of repercussions. WWAV is working to encourage the Louisiana legislature to join states like Alaska, California, Colorado  Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington who already have Good Samaritan laws on the books.
WWAV invites community members to join them on International Overdose Awareness Day to remember loved ones and friends lost to overdose, to call on Louisiana to pass a 911 Good Samaritan law that would create new legal protections for people who call 911 if they witness or experience an overdose, and to take this opportunity to learn more about harm reduction and overdose prevention work in New Orleans.