As overdoses decrease locally and nationwide, Licking County residents are pushing to increase awareness of overdose and support for those struggling with substance use disorder through harm reduction practices and events.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, community organizers in Newark hosted the community’s tenth annual Overdose Awareness Day Rally. The event, held from 5-7 p.m. at the Canal Market District, was hosted by Newark Homeless Outreach and OhioCAN, a nonprofit targeting substance use disorder.
With 28 organizations present, visitors had access to myriad resources for substance use recovery, safe substance use, mental and physical healthcare, and a fierce sense of community support.
Beyond the tables and organizations, the rally also featured music, poetry and stories from people whose lives were touched by overdose and substance use disorder, hoping to inspire others to seek help and stay alive.
“I love the atmosphere of everybody kind of pitching in,” said Adyson Hull, whose father passed away from substance use disorder in 2019. “I just love to see the energy of everybody knowing that this is a problem and trying to take steps to make it better and help those in need.”
Tommy Mcallister, a formerly incarcerated man who struggled with substance use disorder, spoke as well. Mcallister found his way to recovery through the Day Reporting Program, a program run by Licking County Adult Court Services that teaches prevention and safety strategies to people with substance use disorder in place of jail. He’s grateful to live in a community that gives back and works to solve the problems of its people.
“It touches my heart that we do this,” Mcallister told The Reporting Project after speaking at the event. “I was glad I was able to be a part of it.”
Though the planning and execution of the rally went smoothly, there was a hiccup with public recognition. On holidays and during events, it is typical for the Licking County Courthouse to be lit with relevant colors — reds and greens around Christmas, blue and yellow in the days after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and red, white and blue for holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day — but Licking County commissioners declined to light the courthouse purple in honor of Thursday’s rally or for International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.
Patricia Perry, founder of Newark Homeless Outreach, wrote to the Licking County commissioners in April this year, citing their previous response in December 2023 to Newark Ohio Pride’s request to light the County Courthouse. In that response, the commissioners explained that the courthouse would only be lit to recognize a national health crisis.
“We also ask that you approve adding Overdose Awareness Day (a State recognized observance, per Ohio Senate Bill 30) to the list of Licking County Courthouse Lightings,” read the letter from Perry, Newark Homeless Outreach and OhioCAN.
In 2017, former President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a “public health emergency,” and called the ongoing overdose epidemic “the worst drug crisis in U.S. history.” Despite that declaration, Licking County commissioners declined to recognize the memorial day by lighting the courthouse last week.
“Their response to our letter was not unexpected,” said Dr. Nestor Matthews, a volunteer with Newark Homeless Outreach. “There are a broad range of views on this topic, and some people do not recognise overdose or addiction as a disease in the way that many health organizations recognise it as a disease. I had a feeling that they might have a view that is not shared by most health professionals.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent Drug Overdose Mortality By State statistics (2022), Ohio had the tenth-highest mortality rate in the country. Between 2018 and 2022, approximately 230 Licking Countians died from unintentional overdoses, according to the county coroner.
When asked for comment, the Licking County commissioners office did not respond to The Reporting Project.
Perry was not happy with the rejection of the lighting request, and has not had subsequent correspondence with the Licking County commissioners.
“[They] said please send [to] us and we will support the recognition of national overdose awareness,” Perry said on Thurs. Aug. 29. “Well, I sent them an email and asked them…. I specifically asked Tim Bubb to speak about the opioid settlement dollars. I never heard back.”
Noah Fishman writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.