CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
P R O C L A M A T I O N
Declaring August 31, 2022 as Overdose Awareness Day
WHEREAS, in 2001, Sally Finn from The Salvation Army in Melbourne, Australia recognized International Overdose Awareness Day to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind; and
WHEREAS, since 2012, this occasion has been coordinated by the not-for-profit Australian public health organization Penington Institute, which focuses on promoting effective strategies, frontline workforce education, and public awareness activities; and
WHEREAS, provisional data from the Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2021, an increase of nearly 15% from the 93,655 deaths estimated in 2020; and
WHEREAS, according to the California Overdose Sur veillance Dashboard , there were 6,843 opioid-overdose related deaths state wide in 2021 , 180 of which occurred in Contra Costa County, placing us in tenth place when ranked by overall county deaths; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond affirm s and acknowledges the harms and hardships caused by drug overdose s and resolves to play our part in reducing its toll in our community, which continues to claim lives yearly, forever affecting those who loved and cared about them; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond is gra teful for our community partners who are leading the fight, such as the Alcohol, Marijuana, and Prescription Drug (AMPD) Coalition, the Contra Costa County Medication, Education, and Disposal Safety (MEDS) Coalition, and BAART Programs.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Richmond City Council does hereby declare August 31, 2022 as Overdose Awareness Day in the City of Richmond and encourages all community members to participate in overdose awareness related programs and activities.
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Mayor Tom Butt
City of Richmond, California
September 13, 2022