International Overdose Awareness Day: A Call to Heal, Connect, and Act

Every August 31, communities around the world unite to observe International Overdose Awareness Day, a solemn, yet empowering time to honor those we’ve lost, uplift those who are still struggling, and inspire collective action to prevent further tragedies.

At WellLink, this day holds deep significance. It serves as a reminder that everyone is worthy of compassion, recovery, and a second chance. Standing united with all those living with addiction, on a path to recovery or supporting loved ones, we send a message that you are loved, you are valued, and your life matters.

Across the world, overdose deaths continue to devastate communities. The United States far outpaces other countries with 324 overdose deaths per 1 million residents, compared to Scotland’s 219 overdose deaths per million and Canada’s 193, according to a report from the nonprofit The Commonwealth Fund.

Thankfully, a recent 2025 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers positive news. The report indicates that U.S. overdose deaths decreased by nearly 27% in 2024, projected to reach their lowest level since 2019.

This encouraging progress coincides with a growing understanding of the role stigma plays in recovery, along with increased access to life-saving tools like naloxone and fentanyl test strips. Together these developments represent a meaningful step forward in the effort to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, overdose deaths in the U.S. and around the world.

How the Opioid Crisis is Impacting Ohio

Ohio has been profoundly affected by the ongoing opioid crisis, which continues to leave a lasting impact on communities across the state. Beyond the devastating human cost, marked by thousands of lives lost and families torn apart, the epidemic has also placed a heavy economic strain on the state. A study by The Ohio State University revealed that the opioid epidemic inflicts an annual financial toll on Ohio of more than $8 billion. 

In 2020, Ohio witnessed a tragic surge in unintentional drug overdose deaths with 5,017 lives lost, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. This rise was significant, even though it was slightly lower than the national average increase of 35%.

Although the crisis persists, Ohio’s overdose statistics offer hope. In 2023, there were 4,447 unintentional overdose deaths, a nearly 10% drop from 2022, outperforming national trends.

In 2024, Cuyahoga County recorded 419 overdose deaths, of which 282 were opioid-related, marking the lowest total in nearly a decade, according to the Medical Examiner’s office and the Cuyahoga County Overdose Data Dashboard. This number was a significant decrease from 635 overdoses deaths in 2023.

Unfortunately, recent data from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office shows an increase in overdose deaths in the first three months of 2025, with 136 overdose deaths compared to 86 in 2024 Q4.

Progress seen over the past few years can be directly tied to several statewide harm-reduction efforts:

• Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone): Since 2019, project DAWN has distributed more than 1 million naloxone boxes, trained more than 575,000 individuals in naloxone use, and reversed more than 100,000 overdoses.

• Naloxone Cabinets: Public access units are now installed across the state to increase accessibility.

• Fentanyl Test Strips: Decriminalized and rapidly distributed, over 1.18 million strips were handed out by mid‑2024, enabling users to test substances and reduce the risk of fatal poisoning.

These tools not only save lives but also reinforce Ohio’s broader commitment to a harm-reduction approach rooted in public health, not punishment.

Ohio Organizations Striving to End the Opioid Crisis

As the heroin and opioid crisis continues to destroy communities across the United States, including Ohio, behavioral health providers and law enforcement struggle to address the crisis.

WellLink Health Alliance’s Northeast Ohio Opioid Consortium works collaboratively to address the region’s opioid epidemic by sharing and implementing evidence-based practices, promoting policy changes, and increasing prevention efforts. The Opioid Consortium leads with a three-pronged approach:

• Education: Delivering evidence-based harm-reduction training to healthcare professionals, first responders, community members, and families.
• Treatment Access: Promoting Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) options that combine medications with therapy and peer support.
• Policy Advocacy: Supporting data-driven policy change that expands access to care and life-saving interventions like naloxone.

One of WellLink Health Alliance’s most valued partners, Project White Butterfly, meets people where they are — literally and emotionally — offering compassionate, grassroots outreach throughout Cuyahoga County. Their work is driven by the belief that even the smallest connection — a card, a conversation — can be a turning point.

Their impact includes:

• Project White Butterfly Cards: More than 50,000 cards distributed locally and 15,000+ globally, each with handwritten messages of encouragement and resources for addiction recovery.
• Street Outreach: Between 2021–2023, their volunteers hosted 351 street events, distributing Narcan, fentanyl test strips, hygiene kits, food, and literature, connecting with over 4,500 individuals.
• Referrals to Recovery: Their efforts have directly connected 235 individuals to treatment or ongoing recovery support.
• The Recovery Collective: A peer-led hub for healing, offering workshops, storytelling, safe spaces, and community support.
• Education through Art: Their “Dispelling Stigma” gallery uses storytelling, lived experience, and visuals to help communities move away from judgment and toward healing.

International Overdose Awareness Day Local Observances in Cleveland

Join us in honoring lives lost and supporting those in recovery by attending these International Overdose Awareness Day events hosted by Project White Butterfly:

Honoring Healing Connecting

When: Saturday, Aug. 30 | Noon – 3 p.m.
Where: Public Square, Cleveland
A community gathering to remember, grieve, connect, and offer hope.

Community Night at the Recovery Collective

When: Saturday, Aug. 30 | 6 – 8 p.m.
Where: Christ Church, Old Brooklyn – 6400 Memphis Ave, Cleveland, OH 44144
Includes a free dinner, safe space to share stories, a guest speaker, and a candlelit sound bath to memorialize our loved ones in a peaceful, healing environment.

Your Role in Ending the Overdose Crisis

Whether you’ve lost someone, are in recovery, or simply care deeply about your community, you are a part of the solution. Start by educating yourself about local data through the Cuyahoga County Overdose Dashboard, carry Naloxone, available for free through Project DAWN and Project White Butterfly, and advocate for policies that support harm reduction efforts, reduce stigma and improve access to treatment.

International Overdose Awareness Day is more than a date. It’s a call to action, a time to honor those lost, and an opportunity to fight for a future where addiction no longer takes lives. At WellLink Health Alliance, we will continue our mission to drive education, and support the organizations and people turning the tide.

Learn more about the Northeast Ohio Opioid consortium, here, and visit WellLink’s YouTube channel to view Igniting Compassion, a documentary that features stories of people with lived experiences and shines a light on the stigma surrounding addiction.