NORTH DAKOTA – North Dakota health officials will recognize International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, August 31, and there will be an event to commemorate it on Friday, Aug. 29 in Fargo.
“Every reversal represents a person, a future, a chance to recover,” North Dakota Health and Human Services’ opioid addiction administrator Amy Lies said. “We’re proud to walk with North Dakotans through prevention, crisis response and long-term healing.”
Fargo Cass Public Health will host local artist Kim Jore to remember loved ones lost to overdose. They can add their initials to the International Overdose Awareness Day mural at the Harm Reduction Center at 510 5th Street North on Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
“We stand with our community to honor every life lost to overdose,” FCPH Harm Reduction Specialist Kyle Christianson said. “These are not just statistics; they are neighbors, friends, and family members. Let this day be a call to action, reminding us that we can and must reduce the stigma of addiction, offer compassion without judgment, and work together to prevent future loss.”
Fargo Cass Public Health has free Narcan anyone can pick up anonymously on weekdays. The medication rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
If you see someone who has experienced these symptoms, you’re urged to call 911. ND HHS reminds you the state’s Good Samaritan Law protects those who call for help, or help those who are overdosing.
Health officials say 497 people in North Dakota died from an overdose over the last four years including 106 in 2024.
