August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day.
Drug overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years of age and the death rate continues to rise due to the opioid crisis, which has been declared a national emergency. Often, when a family experiences the death of a loved one due to overdose, they do not have a funeral due to the stigma of drug overdose. As a funeral professional, you understand the value of every human life, whether the individual struggled for years and was perhaps even left homeless due to addiction or continued to live with loved ones and be supported throughout their addiction issues.
NFDA members may use two Remembering A Life public service announcements (PSA) to help remind families that, while they likely have many questions, but not many answers, coming together with family and friends to honor the life of their loved one can help them begin their grief journey.
These PSAs can be shared on your funeral home’s social media pages to mark the observance of International Overdose Awareness Day; they can also be shared on your website, during an arrangement conference, and more. NFDA members can view these and other PSAs, as well as access instructions for sharing PSAs at www.nfda.org/psas.
You may also want to share links to the following Remembering A Life blog posts on your funeral home's social media pages:
You may find additional resources on the International Overdose Awareness Day Website, https://www.overdoseday.com/campaign-resources/.