Why we gather for International Overdose Awareness Day

August 25, 2025
IOAD is a day to remember those lost to overdose and to stand with those who are still with us. Together, we can share in the power to change what comes next.

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) on August 31 brings together a global community to take action on overdose. This year’s theme, One Big Family Driven by Hope, reminds us that these losses do not just shatter individual families; they fracture entire communities.

“International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to bring communities together—to remember the lives we have lost, to support those still living with the impacts of this crisis, and to stand as allies in the work ahead,” shares Alison Houweling, a harm reduction coordinator with Interior Health.

“Substance use is a health concern. Like any other health-related activity that can lead to adverse outcomes, it requires a health response: treatment of those outcomes and options that promote health.”

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