Milford Participates In International Overdose Awareness Day

MILFORD, MA—International Overdose Awareness Day originated in 2001 after a discussion between Sally J. Finn and Peter Streker, as Finn was managing a needle program for the Salvation Army in Australia. Finn was co-ordinator of the Community and Health Development Program at the City of Port Phillip.

They planned an event to give ribbons away to commemorate those touched by overdoses. That year, 6,000 people participated. The following year, requests started coming from other areas, and other countries.
It grew, and spread around the globe, and since 2012 International Overdose Awareness Day has been organized by an Australian nonprofit and celebrated on Aug. 31. Communities in countries around the world now commemorate the day.

Milford commemorates the day not on the day but on Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Milford Town Park Bandstand.

The town offers resources about addiction, recovery, relapse prevention, harm reduction and much information for loved ones who have a family member with the disease. The event includes several guest speakers including, two chiefs of police from the surrounding towns, a state representative, a recovering addict and a family member of an addict. The event also includes a new program that gives children who have lost a parent to an overdose a Christmas by providing them with presents from The Missin’ Matt Foundation.

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