Denton County and Reacting to Opioid Overdose will host an event recognizing North Texas Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, announced Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell.
The event will be held at the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square and will start at 6:30 p.m with a theme of “Time to Remember. Time to Act.” It will light up downtown Denton with purple lights.
“The event, which is held annually, sets out to bring awareness to drug overdose across our nation,” said Mitchell. “Last year, over 500 people attended the event to rally together in awareness and recognize the loss of loved ones to this addiction.”
It is estimated that over 80,000 deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2024 due to drug overdose, which is a reduction from 2023. Over half of those deaths were related to opioids, mainly fentanyl.
Mitchell hopes the event will help continue that trend by bringing more attention to the problem and providing practical strategies to prevent overdose.
“In 2024, the number of overdose deaths decreased, which is the first time in many years, and that is good news,” said Mitchell. “We still have work to do in the journey to continue seeing those numbers decline.”
The public is invited to a free event at the CHOS East Lawn. It will feature speakers and resources to educate the public on opioid overdose, as well as provide food, music and more.
“It will be a time to remember the lives lost and cut short due to drug overdose and provide opportunities to act on behalf of bringing awareness to this needless killer of our friends and neighbors,” said Mitchell.
For more information, visit Reacting to Opioid Overdose’s website. The latest updates for the event can be found on the group’s Facebook page.
