Governor’s Prevention Partnership Teams with the City of Middletown Marking Overdose Awareness Day

August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day, and this year's theme, "Together, We Can," emphasizes the collective responsibility to prevent overdose deaths in Connecticut.

Recognizing the critical role that every individual plays in addressing the opioid epidemic, the Governor’s Prevention Partnership has teamed up with the City of Middletown and other local partners to distribute 5,000 drug disposal pouches, effectively removing 200,000 unwanted and unneeded pills from circulation, according to officials.

Described as a “staggering statistic,” more than 50 percent of young people who misuse drugs report obtaining them from their home or the home of someone they know. That underscores the imperative need to address this issue at its roots, state and local officials point out. By emphasizing safe storage and proper drug disposal, they emphasize, we can prevent a crisis before it begins and protect our youth from accessing potentially harmful substances.

“On average four people die in Connecticut every day from an unintentional overdose,” said Kelly Juleson, Co-President, of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership. “This crisis is preventable and ‘Together, We Can’ take steps to end drug misuse before it starts.”

The Governor’s Prevention Partnership builds statewide capacity to prevent underage drinking and substance use and builds strategic alliances to promote the overall well-being of Connecticut’s future workforce. The Partnership, then known as “Drugs Don’t Work,” was co-founded in 1989 by Governor William O’Neill. The organization was formed as a public-private partnership dedicated to leveraging business and government resources to help Connecticut’s youth.

According to recent data, 1,329 people tragically lost their lives in Connecticut in 2023 due to unintentional overdoses, a reduction of more than 8% since 2022. Most of the deaths were caused by fentanyl, further underscoring the urgency of implementing proactive measures to combat this crisis.

“Treatment is only half of the solution,” said Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim. “Prevention is the most important piece of what we can do as individuals and as community members to help stop this crisis.”

Utilization of Deterra drug deactivation pouches, which provide a convenient and immediate alternative to flushing or discarding medications, is a small step anyone can take to combat drug misuse, officials explained.

Participating in the news conference at Middletown’s Harbor Park this week, in addition to Florshein and Juleson were Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Barrye Price, CEO of CADCA; Dave Lanzoni, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, New England, Drug Enforcement Agency; Kevin Elak, Director of Health, City of Middletown; and Rev. Robyn Anderson, Executive Director of the Ministerial Health Fellowship.

Looking beyond the statistics, it's crucial to foster conversations with young people and establish positive connections to steer them away from substance misuse, officials added.

On Overdose Awareness Day, residents are urged to stand together in a commitment to prevention and advocacy, working collaboratively to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives.

For more information, or to request a drug deactivation pouch, visit www.preventionct.org.