Memorandum
Date: September 12, 2023
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Jonathan Portney, Health Services Director
Subject: Adopt Proclamation Designating the Thirty-First Day of August as International Overdose Awareness Day
Executive Summary:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF LAKE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Proclamation
Designating The Thirty-First Day Of August
As International Overdose Awareness Day
WHEREAS, International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held annually on the 31st of August to honor loved ones lost to fatal overdose;
WHEREAS, in 2022, 79 people fatally overdosed in Lake County, the highest fatal overdose rate in the state of California;
WHEREAS, all overdose deaths are preventable;
WHEREAS, addiction is a chronic, relapsing, and treatable disease that should not be conflated with moral or personal failure yet continues to be the subject of stigma and marginalization;
WHEREAS, every person should have access to resources that prevent overdose, including naloxone (Narcan), syringe exchange, drug testing, and medication-assisted treatment;
WHEREAS, in Lake County, dedicated prescribers of medication-assisted treatment, harm reduction providers, and substance use recovery programs work tirelessly to provide residents with these resources;
WHEREAS, local communities play a crucial role in reducing stigma, including residents, elected officials, parents, private and public organizations, hospitals, law enforcement, first responders, schools, and colleges;
WHEREAS, SafeRx Lake County, an overdose prevention coalition comprised of local agencies and organizations including Lake County Behavioral Health and Lake County Health Services, hosted the third annual commemoration of International Overdose Awareness Day in Austin Park on Saturday, August 19;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Lake County Board of Supervisors does hereby designate August 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day and urges Lake County citizens to join in this important observance.
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Recommended Action: Adopt Proclamation Designating the Thirty-First Day of August as International Overdose Awareness Day.