31 August 2026
Held every year on 31 August, International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember and honor the lives lost in our communities and a collective call to end drug-related deaths. As the campaign reaches its 25th anniversary, the need for systemic change, education, and wider access to naloxone has never been more urgent.
Simon Phillips, CEO of WithYou, said:
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day, a milestone that should prompt reflection as much as remembrance. Today, we remember the tragic loss of so many people in our communities, losses that could have been avoided with education, care and a focus on reducing harm.
Too many people die, and we are often faced with an uncomfortable truth: every drug-related death is preventable. With the right education, tools, and a system willing to treat people with kindness, dignity and respect rather than judgement, we can avoid more tragic losses in our communities.
Access to the opioid reversal medication, naloxone, remains largely unknown outside the sector. This is not simply a gap in public health messaging. It reflects a deeper stigma and a lack of education on harm reduction. We need more confidence and focus on the availability of naloxone, and how it can be used to save lives.
If we are serious about reducing the number of overdose deaths, this requires genuine action and collaboration. We urge the UK Government to set out a clear position on drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, reaffirming its commitment to reducing deaths and crime linked to alcohol and drugs, and to maximising recovery outcomes. Communities need greater access to naloxone and the training to use it, embedded across a diverse range of settings rather than relying on specialist drug and alcohol services, alone. And we must continue to build on peer to peer naloxone community programmes with sustained investment and support for our recovery communities.
We need public health messaging that reinforces a simple principle: we all have a responsibility to look out for each other, and to confront the stigma that puts people at risk of overdose in the first place.
Twenty-five years on, overdose remains preventable. We owe it to those we have lost, and to those who are living with grief today, to keep working until drug-related deaths are no longer a reality.
Anyone can learn the signs of an overdose and carry naloxone. You can get free naloxone from your nearest drug and alcohol service. To learn more, visit wearewithyou.org.uk/advice-and-information/advice-for-you/how-to-use-naloxone-prenoxad