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BOSTON – Tuesday,
August 31, 2021 – Today, Mayor Janey recognizes International Overdose
Awareness Day, with the goal of raising awareness about overdoses in
Boston, reducing the stigma surrounding addiction, and honoring the memory
of friends and family who have lost their lives to substance use disorder.
In their honor, Mayor Janey will light City Hall in purple tonight, in
partnership with the Baker-Polito Administration’s illumination of
Government Center, South Station, and state bridges, including Longfellow
and Zakim in Boston, Fore River in Weymouth-Quincy, and Burns in Worcester.
Also today, Mayor Janey will join the Office of Recovery Services,
faith-based leaders and Councilor Frank Baker at a City Hall gathering
recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day, ahead of September’s
National Recovery Month.
“So many of us in
the city of Boston have a connection with substance use disorder, whether
it’s a family member, friend, someone in our community, or ourselves
experiencing it,” said Mayor Janey. “International Overdose Awareness Day
and National Recovery Month are important times for us to come together in
memory of those we’ve lost and in support of those in recovery.”
The convergence of
the opioid epidemic with the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgency
for preventing overdoses and promoting recovery in Boston. The pandemic
heightened overdose risks by disrupting public health and social services,
increasing social isolation, and changing the drug supply. Opioid-related
overdose deaths in Massachusetts increased by five percent in 2020 compared to 2019, marking the first increase in annual
opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts in three years. To meet residents’
needs, all city-run recovery services have remained open and operational
throughout the pandemic. For more information on recovery services in
Boston, please visit boston.gov/recovery.
Today’s remembrance
events will lead into the start of National Recovery Month tomorrow. Observed
every September, National Recovery Month provides an opportunity to
celebrate individuals living in recovery and to build community awareness
about the services and supports available for individuals along their road
to recovery.
“Each and every day
our Recovery Services team gives hope and support with professionalism and
compassion to the people of Boston,” said Jen Tracey,
Director of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services (ORS). “We honor and
remember those we have lost this past year and want everyone to know that
we will continue to adapt to the epidemic and prioritize safe access to
recovery services for all Boston residents.”
During National
Recovery Month, Boston residents can join author Patrick Radden Keefe to
discuss his critically acclaimed book Empire of Pain: The Secret History
of the Sackler Dynasty on September 19 at 2 p.m. This event is free
to the public and was made possible thanks to the collaboration between
ORS, the Office of Arts and Culture and the Boston Public Library (BPL), in
partnership with RIZE Massachusetts. Event details, along with a Recovery
Month reading list and further resources, can be found at https://www.boston.gov/recovery-month.
The book talk is the
latest collaboration that integrates art with recovery. Earlier this month, Mayor Janey announced the City commissioned three
murals at the City’s
Engagement Center in Newmarket Square by art collective Mz. lcar and
artists Rixy and Alex Cook.
“Art can play such a
powerful role in recovery, and we’re excited to be a part of this month’s
programming,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture for the
City of Boston. “We’ve seen how art has inspired people to make change in
their communities and improve their own wellbeing, and we’re continuing to
work toward making those opportunities to engage in the arts accessible to
all residents.”
Residents are
encouraged to participate in the many additional events and opportunities
happening throughout the city in honor of National Recovery Month,
including:
·
Fitness
events with the recovery community (found on the ORS Recovery
Month calendar)
·
Naloxone
(Narcan) information
and training opportunities
·
Virtual
Recovery
Storytelling
on September 13 with Meghann Perry
·
Recovery
Month Celebration Day with the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery
(MOAR) on September 28
·
International
Recovery Day
(happening virtually) on September 30
·
Social
media features on @ORSBoston about service partners, community
organizations, and local leaders promoting recovery
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