Pike County plans Overdose Awareness Day

The Pike County Commissioners proclaimed that Aug. 31 will be Overdose Awareness Day throughout the county.

The Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission will be holding an event from 2-4 p.m. to distribute Narcan and hand out information on out information on opioid addiction and other addictions.

There have been seven deaths from overdoses in the county this year, and according to Shannon Wisniewski, the Milford Outpatient supervisor for the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission said there have been 51 recorded overdoses in the county through June 30 that ambulances were dispatched to.

“Those are the ones we know are overdoses,” she said. “That’s not including general illness calls when someone doesn’t know if it’s an overdose or if it’s intentional or accidental.”

There have been over 100 deaths from overdoses in the county over the past several years

Commissioner Steve Guccini said he was shocked by that number.

“The main thing we can do is recognize we have a problem,” Guccini said. “I think there is still some believe that this doesn’t happen here, and it only happens in cities. Not true. Rural communities have been devastated by this all across the country.”

Overdose Awareness Day aims to publicly challenge the stigma associated with substance abuse disorders and overdosing.

“We all need to understand that these individuals are suffering, and we, as a community, need to do the best we can to recognize their suffering,” Commissioners Chairman Matthew Osterberg said.

Guccini said personal responsibility is a big factor in addiction, but he said there are other factors, as well.

“We need to recognize that and give them the helping hand when they reach out to us,” Osterberg said. “I know sometimes that’s difficult, especially when it’s within y our own family and you’ve tried countless times. The end result is devastating.”