In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Centre County Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative will hold a ceremony on Tuesday to remember community members lost to a drug overdose.
The remembrance ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Centre County Courthouse, 102 S. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte.
Family and friends will be welcomed to share stories and memories of loved ones lost to overdoses. The courthouse will be illuminated in purple beginning Tuesday night and continuing through September, which is National Recovery Month.
Purple ribbons will be displayed throughout Centre County in September to remember community members lost to overdoses and to bring awareness to the issue of substance use disorders and overdoses.
Since 2013, 31,426 individuals in Pennsylvania have lost their lives as a result of drug overdoses, including 129 in Centre County, according to a release from Centre County Government.
“Overdose deaths shatter families, friends and their communities,” the release stated. “At least one in four families in Pennsylvania is impacted by the chronic disease of addiction. We must encourage relatives and friends of people with substance use disorders to implement preventative measures, recognize the signs of problem, and guide those in need to appropriate treatment and recovery support services.”
An estimated 23 million adults are living in long-term recovery from addiction. Anyone who is struggling with substance abuse, or who has a family member who is, can contact the Centre County Drug and Alcohol Office at 814-355-6786.
“During a time when overdose deaths are staggering the HOPE Initiative wants to remind everyone that prevention works, treatment is effective, and recovery is possible,” the release said.
The HOPE Initiative was formed in 2016 by the Centre County Criminal Justice Advisory Board to address substance abuse and drug overdoses in the county. Since then it has grown to include representatives from a number of agencies and community members and organizations.
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