Bethlem Candle Light Vigil
Time: 08:00 pm
Location: Bethlem Museum
Bethlem Hospital
Monks Orchard Rd, Beckenham BR3 3BX
Public/Private: Public
Individual/Organisation: Individual
Name of Organisation:
Contact: Tracy Davies
Phone: 07826351600
Email: Tracy.Davies@slam.nhs.uk
Web:
Candlelight Vigil
Thursday 31August 2023 at 8pm
International Overdose Awareness Day
Time to remember, Time to act.
Local communities in London and around the world are coming together on Thursday 31st August to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.
Observed on August 31 every year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) seeks to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use.
South London & Maudsley NHS Trust will be holding a candlelight vigil to mark the day, whilst The Maudsley Hospital will be light up purple.
By holding an event this year, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust are joining themselves to a global movement for understanding, compassion, and change.
Global overdose rates have skyrocketed in the last 25 years. In 2020, an estimated 284 million people worldwide had used a drug in the past 12 months, a 26 per cent increase from 2010.
Approximately 3 million adults in the UK reported drug use in England and Wales in 2022.
“We encourage members of the community with lived experience to come to our event and to stand in solidarity with those who have been personally affected by overdose.” Tracy Davis
A full list of the IOAD 2023 events currently planned around the world can be found at: https://www.overdoseday.com/events-2023/
MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Davis (Dual-diagnosis Lead) – Tracy.Davis@slam.nhs.uk / 078 1606 3909