Broken No More International Overdose Awareness Day Press Conference with Families who Lost Loved Ones to Overdose
Press Conference Video: International Overdose Awareness Day Press Conference with Families who Lost Loved Ones to Overdose
August 27: Families Urged Elected Officials to Expand Access to Lifesaving Overdose Prevention and Addiction Treatment Services, and Halt the Wave of Harmful Drug Laws
To mark International Overdose Awareness Day, families who have lost loved ones to overdose held a press conference on Aug. 27, urging lawmakers to prioritize health-based solutions that prevent these tragic losses. They called to halt and reverse the wave of harsh drug laws and criminalization, which they say will not reduce overdose deaths but will continue to fill our prisons without helping those struggling with substance use disorder.
The featured speakers included bereaved mothers from across the United States who have lost loved ones to overdose. Their call-to-action is for lawmakers to embrace life-affirming, evidence-based health responses proven to save lives and prevent other families from experiencing the devastating loss of those they love.
“We want sane drug policies. We want drug policies that focus on health and education, and we take a step back from criminalization, from the failed war on drugs, which we know, after billions of dollars, 40 years of incarcerating people, putting them in cages, shoving them into back alleys, it doesn’t work,” said Tamara Olt, M.D., Executive Director of Broken No More. Tamara lost her 16-year-old son Josh. “We’re here to stand up today and say ‘enough’ and to advocate for the things that work, like harm reduction, naloxone distribution, healthcare, dignity, respect: all the things that will keep our people alive, engage them in care, engage them to care about themselves, and to take care of each other.”
The speakers advocated against harsh drug laws that aim to increase punishment and incarceration, forcing people into dangerous withdrawal and blocking access to care and treatment.
“Right now, some politicians and law enforcement are using this crisis to push the same old failed drug war policies, like long mandatory sentences and drug-induced homicide charges. These do not save lives. They fill prisons, they target Black and poor communities, and they make the overdose crisis worse,” said Kimberly Douglas, Founder of Black Moms Against Overdose, a support group for moms who have lost children to overdose. Kimberly lost her 17-year-old son, Bryce, to an overdose. “Our prisons are full of people who need healing, not punishment. We want compassion, care, and proven solutions.”
Though people of all races and ethnicities use and sell drugs at similar rates, Black people, communities of color, and poor people are disproportionately harmed due to targeted enforcement.
“Simply put, we cannot continue our failed practices of disempowering those that are most at risk of overdose, of removing resources from them, and isolating them, and making it harder for them to take care of themselves,” said Jessie Dunleavy, an advocate for drug policy reform who lost her 34-year-old son, Paul, to an overdose. “Our challenges right now seem greater than ever, but it’s all the more reason to keep up our efforts to promote common sense, proven initiatives.”
Speakers also implored lawmakers to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder, increase overdose prevention services, distribute naloxone in communities that need it most, and provide evidence-based drug education for youth and adults.
“I’m bringing awareness and also sharing resources with other families, faith leaders, community organizers, and anyone to let them know that naloxone should be carried not only in your home, but also in your car. Carry it everywhere because you have that power to save a life, and a life is worth saving,” said Anita Garrett, a Milwaukee advocate who lost her 31-year-old son, Sammie. “No mother should ever have to live with the pain of knowing that their child was left alone in their final moments. That pain is something that I carry with me every day, but I have chosen to turn my pain into purpose.”
Here is a powerful video that features Anita Garrett for the “You Have the Power to Save Lives” campaign, which has partnered with community groups and local governments to increase the availability of free naloxone, especially in Black communities.
“It costs less to provide harm reduction services to a person than it does to keep them incarcerated for a year,” said Aisha Betancourt Esquivel, Founder of the #breanaland project, which is currently partnered with Live4Lali. Aisha lost her daughter, BreAna. “We need to educate more people on overdose prevention sites. They’re not just, ‘hey, come over here, let’s do drugs.’ There’s connection there, there’s community there, there’s humanity there. They’re just helping them out to stay alive until they’re ready to make a change.”
This event was held leading up to International Overdose Awareness Day, which takes place on Aug. 31. Communities and organizations across the globe recognize this day as a time to both honor loved ones who lost their lives to overdose and to raise awareness about the overdose crisis. During the press conference, an important video created by the public health organization Vital Strategies was shared, honoring lives lost to overdose.
The press conference was organized by Broken No More, a group that, with support from sister organization Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP), helps thousands of families through the grief of losing their loved one to overdose. The organization launched an active group of more than 50 parents who are engaging with media and policy advocacy, and a broader network of hundreds subscribed through emails and newsletters who support the work of Broken No More. It also featured Kimberly Douglas of Black Moms Against Overdose, a group that offers support and community for moms who have lost children to overdose.
In November 2024, Broken No More released testimonial videos sharing families’ love, pain, and loss, and explaining why they support health solutions to the overdose crisis. The videos end with the message, “Families Support Harm Reduction, Not Prison. Say Yes to Policies that Work.”
About Broken No More
Broken No More is an organization formed by families and friends of those suffering from a substance use disorder. We have lived the trauma of addiction with our loved ones and we have experienced the devastating effects caused by the drug policies of prohibition and criminalization. Far too many of us have experienced the loss of a loved one from overdose because of these policies. Broken No More was formed with the mission of supporting and promoting more enlightened drug policies that will reduce the stigma of drug use and keep other parents and family members from losing the one they love to overdose. Through the formation of its Advocacy Group, Broken No More has increased its ability to respond to punitive policy proposals.
Learn more at broken-no-more.org.