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Our Mission Is To End Overdose In SLO County!

Who We Are

SLO Overdose Awareness Day is commemorated each year on the last Saturday in August. August 30, 2025! This free event is an opportunity for our community to come together to learn more about overdose and how to prevent it, to remember those whose lives have been lost to overdose, and to act together to end the stigma.

International Overdose Awareness Day was started in Australia in 2001. The aim of this campaign is to spread the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death and that drug overdose is preventable. Learn more about the movement here.
“Every day, lives around us are being changed and lost to overdose,” says Jennifer Rhoads, SLO County’s Opioid Safety Coordinator. “Overdose does not discriminate; it can affect you or someone you love, a friend, colleague, or a neighbor.”

After seeing a rise in overdose deaths between 2019 through 2021, SLO County saw a decrease in overdose deaths in 2022. In 2022 we lost 103 residents which was down from 123 in 2021.  However, in 2023 we lost 106 residents, which was a slight increase. Three out of four overdoses in 2021 involved opioids. Now fentanyl is making the problem worse, and we want to support families who are challenged with how to discuss the problem and educate youth in how to prevent overdose.