International Overdose Awareness Day

A local support group, Caring and Sharing, joined city leaders and the Wicomico County Health Department to participate in this global effort to fight addiction and save lives.

The event today at Riverwalk Park not only raised awareness about overdose deaths but it also gave families and friends a chance to remember those who have died or praising those who are now in active recovery.  A major goal on this awareness day is to reduce the stigma of addiction in the hopes of reducing the number of drug-related deaths.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports that deaths in the state due to overdose have gone up 21% in the last five years. Mayor Jake Day and other community leaders shared their different experiences

“My son on Feb 28th of this year passed away of heroin overdose,” said Mary Baynum. “He struggled for years and years with his addiction and unfortunately heroin won. He, like everyone that’s an addict this isn’t the life that they want they get caught up in it somehow and what’s you get a hold of them they just cant get rid of it.”

“My show is to travel through the emotional state of what an addict feels why they are in active addiction,” said recovering addict and SU student Lauren Wertz. “It is not just something they can just hop off of the drug it’s not as simple as that its deep it’s emotional it is a disease and I want to be able to show that to people.”

The Caring and Sharing support group started as a Facebook page and now, two years later, it has grown and has more than 500 members.