August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, a time to remember lives lost to overdose, support the families and friends who carry that grief, and remind those struggling with addiction that recovery remains possible.
Purple ribbons will appear across social media today. Candles will be lit. Photographs will be shared. Names will be spoken.
Behind every one of those names is a person.
A son. A daughter. A mother or father. A brother or sister. A spouse. A friend. A neighbor.
International Overdose Awareness Day, observed annually on August 31, is the world's largest campaign dedicated to ending overdose. The 2026 theme — “25 Years On. Still Needed.” — recognizes both the progress that has been made and the painful reality that overdose continues to take lives around the world.
For communities across Eastern Kentucky, that message hits especially close to home.
Kentucky Is Making Progress — But 1,110 Lives Were Still Lost
There is encouraging news.
Kentucky recorded its fourth consecutive annual decline in overdose deaths in 2025, according to the state's latest Drug Overdose Fatality Report. Overdose deaths fell 22.9% from 2024 and 50.8% from their 2021 peak, reaching the lowest level recorded in Kentucky since 2014.
But statistics can hide the human cost.
1,110 Kentuckians still died from drug overdoses in 2025.
Fentanyl was present in 45.4% of those deaths, while methamphetamine was present in 49.5%.
One thousand, one hundred and ten lives.
And thousands more parents, children, spouses, siblings and friends were left behind.
That is why today's observance still matters.
Addiction Is Not Someone Else's Problem
For decades, addiction was often discussed quietly — if it was discussed at all.
Families sometimes hid it because they feared embarrassment or judgment. People struggling with substance use sometimes avoided asking for help because they feared what others would think.
Those attitudes can have devastating consequences.
Addiction can affect virtually any family. It does not care about income, education, occupation, social status or ZIP code.
And neither should compassion.
International Overdose Awareness Day challenges communities to replace stigma with understanding and silence with conversation.
Someone struggling with addiction doesn't need another person telling them how badly they have failed.
They need to know there is still a road forward.
Recovery Can Start Today
This International Overdose Awareness Day, Fresh Start Health wants individuals and families throughout our region to know that help is available.
Fresh Start Health provides Addiction Recovery and Mental Health Treatment services, recognizing something that is critically important in successful recovery: substance use and mental health frequently cannot be treated as completely separate issues.
An individual may be battling addiction while simultaneously dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief or other emotional struggles.
Treating the whole person can help someone begin building a life beyond addiction.
And that first step does not have to be dramatic.
Sometimes it is simply making a phone call and saying:
“I need help.”
Fresh Start Health can be reached at (606) 225-8200.
Know How to Respond to an Overdose
Awareness also means being prepared.
Naloxone — commonly known by the brand name Narcan — is a medication capable of reversing an opioid overdose, including overdoses involving fentanyl, heroin and prescription opioids, when administered in time. The CDC says naloxone is safe, easy to use and can be administered by someone without medical training.
Kentucky continues to expand access to the medication. In fact, the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center highlighted naloxone distribution across the Commonwealth just days ahead of this year's International Overdose Awareness Day, calling expanded access one of the most effective ways communities can help prevent fatal opioid overdoses.
If you suspect an opioid overdose, call 911 immediately and administer naloxone if it is available.
Knowing what to do could mean the difference between someone becoming another statistic and someone getting another chance.
Say Their Names
For families who have already experienced an overdose death, today belongs to them as well.
Grief following an overdose can be complicated by questions, anger, guilt and sometimes the stigma that continues to surround addiction.
But the manner in which someone died does not erase the life they lived.
They were loved.
They had families.
They had stories.
They laughed. They dreamed. They made mistakes. They mattered.
And they deserve to be remembered.
So today, if you've lost someone to an overdose, say their name.
Share their photograph.
Tell their story.
Light a candle.
Wear purple.
Remember the person rather than simply the circumstances surrounding their death.
For the Person Who Is Still Struggling
And finally, this message is for the person reading this who may currently be battling addiction.
Maybe your family doesn't know.
Maybe they know and don't understand.
Maybe you've tried recovery before and relapsed.
Maybe you've convinced yourself that you've gone too far to turn things around.
You haven't.
As long as you are here, there is an opportunity for a different ending to your story.
Recovery may not happen overnight. It may include setbacks. It may require professional treatment and support from people around you.
But it can begin with one decision.
Today can be the day you ask for help.
Fresh Start Health
Fresh Start Health offers Addiction Recovery and Mental Health Treatment services for people ready to begin taking those steps.
Call: (606) 225-8200
Additional Kentucky treatment resources are available through the KY HELP Call Center at 833-859-4357, which connects Kentuckians with addiction treatment services.
International Overdose Awareness Day — August 31, 2026
Remember those we've lost. Support those who remain. Fight the stigma. Encourage recovery. Save lives.
This article is presented with support from Fresh Start Health.