Middletown Recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The Governor’s Prevention Partnership has teamed up with the city of Middletown and CADCA in Recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.

Here is an overview from the Partnership:

Aug. 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day, and this year's theme, "Together, We Can," emphasizes "the collective responsibility" to prevent overdose deaths in Connecticut.

Recognizing the critical role that every individual plays in addressing the opioid epidemic, the Governor’s Prevention Partnership has teamed up with the City of Middletown and other local partners to distribute 5,000 drug disposal pouches, effectively removing 200,000 unwanted and unneeded pills from circulation.

The staggering statistic that more than 50 percent of young people who misuse drugs report obtaining them from their home or the home of someone they know underscores the imperative need to address this issue at its roots. By emphasizing safe storage and proper drug disposal, we can prevent a crisis before it begins and protect our youth from accessing potentially harmful substances.

"On average four people die in Connecticut every day from an unintentional overdose," said Kelly Juleson, Co-President, of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership. "This crisis is preventable and ‘Together, We Can’ take steps to end drug misuse before it starts."

According to recent data, 1329 people tragically lost their lives in Connecticut in 2023 due to
unintentional overdoses, signaling a reduction of more than 8 percent since 2022. It's important to note that most of these deaths were caused by fentanyl, further underscoring the urgency of implementing proactive measures to combat this crisis.

"Treatment is only half of the solution," said Ben Florsheim, Mayor, City of Middletown.
"Prevention is the most important piece of what we can do as individuals and as community members to help stop this crisis."

Utilization of Deterra drug deactivation pouches which provide a convenient and immediate alternative to flushing or discarding medications is a small step anyone can take to combat drug misuse.

Looking beyond the statistics, it's crucial to foster conversations with young people and establish positive connections to steer them away from substance misuse.

On this Overdose Awareness Day, let us stand together in our commitment to prevention and advocacy, working collaboratively to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives.

For more information or to request a drug deactivation pouch visit preventionct.org