UPDATE on 9/13/23 – The Kennedy Center has officially rescheduled the Overdose Awareness Day Event to Saturday, September 23rd from 10 am to 2 pm at the Goose Creek Graffiti Park.
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UPDATE on 8/29/23 – Due to the possibility of bad weather, the Kennedy Center has made the decision to postpone their Overdose Awareness Day & Narcan distribution event. They will announce a new date as soon as it is confirmed.
—Original Post Below—
The Kennedy Center Prevention Department, along with its SAMHSA-awarded grant, Partnership for Success (PFS), will be observing International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) on August 31st, 2023 by sponsoring a Free Narcan Distribution Event from 1 pm to 6 pm at the Goose Creek Graffiti Park (104A Red Bank Road). Deterra pouches to dispose of unused medications will also be provided at the event, as well as community resource information on overdose prevention, and available treatment and support services.
Local Goose Creek graffiti artists will be participating in the event by spray-painting the Goose Creek Graffiti Park wall with symbols and messages of overdose awareness. During the event, friends and family can take a moment to write their loved one's name and/or words of hope on the painted wall to remember Berkeley County residents lost to overdose without stigma.
Since 2020, Berkeley County says they have seen a 51% increase in accidental overdose deaths. The purpose of sponsoring this event is to learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose, the steps to administering Narcan®, and serve as a reminder that anyone could become a hero and prevent a fatal overdose.
Narcan Nasal Spray is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can stop an overdose from opioids such as heroin, morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl from becoming deadly.
“IOAD is a day to remember those we have lost to overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdoses in Berkeley County,” said Wehme Hutto, Executive Director of the Kennedy Center.
