Benton County Health Department will hold four free community events in August as part of Overdose Awareness Month, offering overdose recognition training, naloxone distribution and vigils to remember those who have died from overdose.
The events lead up to International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, described as the world’s largest campaign to reduce stigma around overdose and raise awareness of prevention efforts. This year’s theme, “25 years on. Still needed,” marks a quarter-century of the campaign while encouraging more people to join the effort.
“Death from drug overdose impacts not only the family and friends of the person lost, but also the broader community,” Sara Hartstein, the county’s public health division director, said in a statement. “This month serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in preventing overdose deaths. By showing up, working together, and taking action, we can help save lives and support a healthier, more connected community.”
The county’s Risk Reduction Program will host two overdose recognition and response trainings, in Corvallis on Aug. 12 and in Monroe on Aug. 21, both running from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Vigils to honor those lost to overdose are scheduled in Monroe on Aug. 20 and in Corvallis on Aug. 31, both from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Free naloxone will be available at all four events, which are open to the public and held in English; interpretation services can be arranged by emailing healthdeptcommunications@bentoncountyor.gov.
Event locations:
- Corvallis Overdose Recognition and Response Training — Aug. 12, 5:30-7 p.m., 4500 SW Research Way
- Monroe Overdose Awareness Vigil — Aug. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 648 Orchard St.
- Monroe Overdose Recognition and Response Training — Aug. 21, 5:30-7 p.m., 648 Orchard St.
- Corvallis Overdose Awareness Vigil — Aug. 31, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 602 SW Madison Ave.
The Risk Reduction Program has distributed free naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, since March 2020 and recently marked six years of community distribution. Staff have handed out more than 25,000 doses since the program began.
“There are many scenarios where someone could overdose on opioids,” Blue Valentine, the program’s coordinator, said through a press release.
Valentine said accidental overdoses can occur when young people experiment with drugs, when someone uses a rapidly changing street drug supply, or when a person taking prescribed pain medication takes a dose too early.
“A successful overdose reversal depends on a bystander recognizing the overdose and acting quickly,” Valentine said. “We make sure people have naloxone on hand and know how to use it.”
For those unable to attend the scheduled events, free naloxone remains available year-round through the program’s naloxone kiosks — large purple dispensers nicknamed “Naloxone Barney” — with no barriers to access. Kiosks are located in the Health Services Building vestibule near the back parking lot, on the first floor of the Barbara Ross Building near the elevators, and in the Crisis Center Building vestibule near the entrance.
Community members can also reach the Risk Reduction Program’s message line at 541-766-6314 or email riskreduction@bentoncountyor.gov for free naloxone and more information. Additional resources are available at bit.ly/BentonRiskReduction, and more on International Overdose Awareness Day can be found at overdoseday.com.