FOLSOM—In advance of International Overdose Awareness Day this Sunday, Dignity Health hospitals across the Sacramento region will host public distribution events offering free Narcan and fentanyl test strips, along with hands-on overdose response training and resources for families impacted by the opioid crisis.
The Folsom event will take place Friday, August 29, at Mercy Hospital of Folsom, 1650 Creekside Drive, from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The hospital’s physicians, nurses, chaplains, and community partners will provide demonstrations on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, while distributing Narcan kits and fentanyl test strips at no cost. Attendees will also take part in remembrance prayers led by chaplains, and families affected by the crisis will receive pins to honor the lives of loved ones lost.
For those in the Carmichael area, a companion event will be held at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, 6501 Coyle Avenue, on Friday, August 29, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will follow the same format, with clinicians leading training, chaplains providing prayers of remembrance, and resources available from local community partners.
These local events lead into International Overdose Awareness Day, observed globally on August 31. First organized in Melbourne, Australia in 2001, the day has grown into the world’s largest campaign to end overdose and remember the lives lost to it. Marked annually with vigils, educational events, and community gatherings, the campaign seeks to reduce the stigma surrounding drug-related deaths while offering families a chance to grieve openly and honor their loved ones. Many participants wear silver ribbons or the color purple as symbols of remembrance.
International Overdose Awareness Day not only remembers those lost, but also underscores the urgent need for prevention and preparedness. In communities across the nation and the world, the day is used to share resources, provide overdose reversal training, and call for compassionate, evidence-based solutions to a crisis that continues to impact families from every walk of life.
Organizers say the Dignity Health events reflect those same goals—providing education, support, and life-saving tools to help local residents be prepared to act when faced with an overdose emergency. Both the Folsom and Carmichael events are free and open to the public.
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