It's a devastating statistic that just about everyone has been impacted by drug overdose. Community Advocates' RISE Drug Free MKE in Milwaukee is working to create a better understanding of substance misuse to reduce and eliminate drug-related deaths in our community.
International Overdose Awareness Day was initiated in 2001 by Sally J Finn at The Salvation Army in St. Kilda, Melbourne and has since been convened by Pennington Institute, an Australian not-for-profit public health organization. For over twenty years now, International Overdose Awareness Day events have been held around the world to raise awareness of overdose, a public health crisis trampling through our communities. With a mission to reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and create change that reduces the harm associated with drug use, organizations, advocates and community members gather on August 31.
According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023. Of those fatal overdoses, 668 were in Milwaukee County. If you participate in an International Overdose Awareness Day event, you are participating in the fight against drugs; the fight to reverse these devastating statistics.
Proud Sponsor of Healing Starts Today's Rhythm and Soles 5k Walk/Run Event
RISE Drug Free MKE is proud to be a title sponsor of Healing Starts Today's Rhythm & Soles 5K Walk/Run to honor International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2024 at Veterans Park in Milwaukee. The event wishes to provide an opportunity to remember the lives we have lost to overdose.
There will be memorialization activities, speakers, and naloxone (Narcan) administration training. The event will have healing spaces, spoken tributes, community resources, and more. We aim to create a safe space that allows for friends and families to publicly mourn free of shame and stigma.
Schedule of Events
| 9:30 a.m. | Registration Begins |
| 9:45 a.m. | Narcan Training |
| 10 a.m. | Speaker |
| 10:30 a.m. | Yoga |
| 11 a.m. | Remembrance Run/Walk Kick-Off |
| 12:30 p.m. | Yoga |
| 1:30 p.m. | Narcan Training |
| 2 p.m. | Speaker - Laura Haas |
| 3 p.m. | Meditation |
| 5 p.m. | Event Concludes |
Need a Ride?
Shuttle services will be available from Washington Park and Mitchell Park to Veterans Park. Shuttles will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Media Kit & Resources
- Milwaukee's International Overdose Awareness Day Events 2024 Press Release
- Event Flyer - English
- Event Flyer - Spanish
- Healing Starts Today
- International Overdose Awareness Day - A Pennington Institute Initiative
- Wisconsin Opioid Project
- Milwaukee County Overdose Data
- Milwaukee County Harm Reduction Vending Machines
- City of Milwaukee - Office of African American Affairs - Overdose Prevention Education
- Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin
- CDC Overdose Prevention
- IOAD Overdose Prevention Fact Sheets
- SAMHSA Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Information about Over the Counter Naloxone
- CADCA - Over The Dose
- Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits
Did you know these stats? CADCA's #OverTheDose campaign is bringing awareness to how common it is that patients are being prescribed more prescription medication than they need. To avoid these prescriptions from getting into the wrong hands, here are some safe and healthy ways to store and dispose of unwanted and unneeded medications:
- Participate in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 26, 2024. Don’t want to wait until then? There are year-round authorized drug collection sites that you can go to!
- Use a drug deactivation and disposal pouch. This is a safe way to discard of unused and expired medications. Remember, do not flush your medicine unless it is on the DEA’s flush list.
- Get a medication lock box. This allows you to fully secure your prescriptions and track the medication inside.
