Two recovering addicts stress the importance of International Overdose Awareness Day
Wednesday, August 31st is “International Overdose Awareness Day”, a global event that happens each year on this date. The goal is to raise awareness about drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends who have lost a loved one to overdose.
According to the CDC, approximately 47, 000 drug overdoses occurred in the U.S. in 2014 and local numbers support the belief that those numbers have steadily escalated since then. According to the latest figures from the Wicomico County Health Department , in the year 2015, in Salisbury, 100 overdoses were treated. This year, within just the first six months, there were 188 overdoses. 47 ABC spoke to two young people about their personal story with recovering from addiction and how they are looking to take a stand against this crisis.
Twenty-two year old Ciara Berry tells 47 ABC about one of two times she overdosed on heroin.
“I was gasping for air, I was blue. They actually had to hit me with Narcan to bring me back,” says Ciara.
Ciara is now in rehab and is two weeks clean, but she admits she didn’t get to this point on her own. One of her driving forces in her recovery was her childhood best friend, Nicole Ehinger, who is recovering herself.
“I don’t want to get a call that my best friend died, I don’t want to get that call ever,” says Ehinger.
Twenty-three year old Nicole is now 19-months drug free. Nicole and Ciara tell 47 ABC is hasn’t been an easy road to recovery, they say it has taken a toll on their families.
“For the longest of time my mom stayed up at night crying over me. I ended up homeless in Baltimore for 3 or 4 days and my mom has pretty much told me she had grieved my death,” says Ciara.
Which is why they are urging locals to take part in International Overdose Awareness Day.
“It’s happening and we need to stop being scared and speak up on it especially if you’re struggling,” says Nicole.
Tuesday afternoon, organizers of the event in Salisbury, were spray-painting crosses for their rally. The crosses honor those who lost their lives to substance abuse. Regina Melvin, is the Administrator for Caring and Sharing in the Face of Addiction, a local support group for families of drug users past and present. She says the first step in moving forward is being able to have open conversations about substance abuse.
‘We need to stop the stigma, stop the shame, this is an epidemic,” says Melvin.
Ciara and Nicoel agree with Regina Melvin, and they tell 47 ABC this can open doors to support and recovery.
“It’s amazing once you get to the other side how much support there is from your family and it’s been there all a long,” says Nicole.
The event in Salisbury will take place Wednesday, August 31st at 6:30 PM by the Riverwalk.
For events taking place in Delaware click here.
