08/29/2025
International Overdose Awareness Day 2025
On August 31, 2025, the world will come together for International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) to honor those lost to overdose, reduce stigma, and promote prevention. Started in 2001 by the Pennington Institute, IOAD has grown into a global movement addressing the overdose crisis.
The numbers are sobering: in the U.S., around 87,000 overdose deaths occurred from October 2023 to September 2024, down 24% from the prior year’s peak. Globally, nearly 600,000 drug-related deaths were reported in 2019, with opioids driving most cases. Fentanyl and stimulants are now major contributors to this ongoing crisis.
IOAD 2025 emphasizes education, like recognizing overdose signs (slow breathing, unconsciousness) and using naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. Communities worldwide are hosting vigils, webinars, and campaigns to foster awareness and hope.
Benefits of Counseling
Counseling equips individuals with relapse prevention strategies, emotional regulation skills, and education about tools like naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses. It also addresses co-occurring mental health issues, common in 50-70% of substance use disorder cases, improving overall well-being. And for those grieving or affected by overdose, as highlighted on IOAD, counseling offers a path to process loss and find hope.