By Jill Sperling

International Overdose Awareness Day strikes a chord in B.C.

Aug 31, 2018 | 3:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — Today marks International Overdose Awareness Day, a day to reflect upon the ongoing overdose crisis, and remember those who have been lost. 

More than two years after British Columbia declared a public health emergency for overdose deaths, the province continues to see the death toll rise. 

International Overdose Awareness Day serves as a reminder that illicit drug use and addiction has seeped into every segment of the population, and everyone affected is important to someone. 

Many community members and businesses are recognizing the day by tying a purple ribbon, a symbol of remembrance and recognition of an ongoing issue. 

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“This is crossing all socio-economic classes,” said ASK Wellness Executive Director Bob Hughes. “It’s impacting people young and old. I think that having a day where we recognize that this is something that’s a call for action. It’s a recognition that we have to do something more than just simply reversing peoples’ overdoses but looking at a real solution both from a prevention perspective and finding ways that we can treat people whose addictions are as severe as they are.”