🎗️ International Overdose Awareness Day

Police Chief David Clark and Director Erica McNamara would like to invite the community to join the Reading Police Department, the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support and the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition as they recognize International Overdose Awareness Day.

Thursday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m.

Reading Town Common, 16 Lowell St., Reading

• Town Manager Fidel Maltez

• Erica McNamara, Coalition Director

• The Rev. Emelia Attridge of First Congregational Church

Reading Police, the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support, and the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition will come together to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day in Reading.

Speakers will include Reading Town Manager Fidel Maltez and Director Erica McNamara of the Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support.

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) seeks to facilitate a better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug misuse. The IOAD 2023 theme, “Recognizing those people who go unseen,” is about acknowledging people those who are affected by overdose but might go unseen in the crisis.

At the event and for the week following, the coalition invites the community to view the regional story-gathering exhibit — A Walk to Remember — on the Town Common. Stories from around the region (Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester) will be displayed to remember those lost to substance misuse and suicide.

To learn more about International Overdose Awareness Day, visit https://www.overdoseday.com/.

About The Reading Coalition

The Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support, formerly known as RCASA, was established in 2006 in Reading. The coalition started as a town, police, school, and community initiative focused on improving collaboration and reducing substance misuse. Today the coalition, funded under the Reading Police Department, offers programs and services that focus on substance misuse prevention and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. Visit the Coalition at https://www.readingma.gov/…/Reading-Coalition-for…. Follow the Coalition on Instagram, like it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter.

About the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition (MVPHC)

MVPHC connects Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester. Together, the Coalition collaborates on importance prevention initiatives to support its communities. Find more info at www.mysticvalleypublichealth.org.