In line with International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, the Ithaca Plan will be hosting a forum as an educational event about overdose. With deaths from drug overdoses in New York alone increasing 71 percent from 2010 to 2015, according to a press release, the Ithaca Plan aims to establish different approaches to combat rising drug overdoses. Since his election as mayor Svante Myrick ’09 has promoted the Ithaca Plan, which most notably calls for the establishment of a certified heroin injection site — a proposal that has sparked controversy. The event Thursday will focus on both remembrance of individuals who have died from overdose as well as education on overdose prevention strategies. “On this International Overdose Awareness Day, Ithacans join with thousands of people from across the world to save lives and honor the humanity of our neighbors.”This forum will run simultaneously with over overdose awareness events nationwide in an effort to both destigmatize and memorialize drug overdose.

Source: Daily Sun August 28, 2017 00:11 UTC