National Overdose Awareness Day: Hamilton Co. Coalition is here to offer help

CHATTANOOGA, Tn (WDEF) – It is National Overdose Awareness Day, and the Hamilton County Coalition is making an effort to recognize and remember those effected on a local level.

There have been more than 38-hundred overdoses reported to the Tennessee Department of Health so far this year.

There were 114 recorded O-D’s in Chattanooga last year.

Debra Clark is the Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist. She said the Purple Sand Project is about raising awareness and remembering those lost as more than just a statistic.

“So, we take purple sand, since purple is the color for overdose awareness, and we pour the sand in the cracks of driveways or sidewalks. Just to bring attention to the people we are losing, that are overdosing, to symbolize how we are letting them fall through the cracks,” said Clark.

The Hamilton County Coalition wants to remind the community that they are available as a major resource for those struggling with substance abuse.

“We actually offer an overdose reversal training. We teach a little about the things that actually lead to substance abuse disorder, how it effects the brain, what an overdose looks like, and how to respond to an overdose. We do actually give access to Narcan, to those with no other way of accessing it,” said Clark.