As part of International Overdose Awareness Day, Montgomery County will commemorate the lives lost to overdose and raise awareness on Thursday, August 28, in Downtown Rockville with a candlelight vigil and commemoration service. Preceding National Recovery Month in September, the event emphasizes the value of compassion, support, and access to recovery resources and features a resource fair and candle lighting.
According to the press release, Montgomery County will honor loved ones who have passed away from overdose on Thursday, August 28, in Downtown Rockville with a candlelight vigil and commemoration service. The occasion will honor International Overdose understanding Day, a global campaign to decrease the stigma associated with drug-related deaths and increase public understanding of overdoses. It also acts as a lead-up to September’s National Recovery Month celebration.
During the month-long community-wide celebration known as National Recovery Month, people with mental health or drug use issues are encouraged to get support and assistance.
Fentanyl was implicated in 75% of the 1,768 overdose deaths that Maryland reported in 2024. Of those deaths, 83 occurred in Montgomery County, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Memorial Plaza, which is situated at 101 Monroe St. (terrace between the Circuit Court and the Isiah Ike Leggett Executive Office Building), will host the event starting at 5:30 p.m. Free tours of the Community Opioid Prevention & Education (COPE) trailer and a resource fair will be part of the event.
The event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Only those who wish to provide information at the resource fair must register.
At 7:30 p.m., family members and friends will light candles in remembrance of loved ones. People can submit a photo (an individual shot without anyone else in the picture) if they would like to have a loved one remembered in a commemorative photo exhibition. Send information and pictures here. Submissions must be made by Monday, August 18.
Too many families in our community have been impacted by substance abuse and overdose, and it is our duty to respond with empathy, support, and action, said County Executive Marc Elrich. We understand the suffering that so many individuals endure, and we support those who are grieving, recovering, and continuing to face challenges. We can unite as a community to lessen stigma, increase awareness, and ensure that individuals are aware that aid is accessible through events like National Recovery Month and International Overdose Awareness Day. Montgomery County will keep working to guarantee that everyone has access to the resources and care they require to proceed.
National Recovery Month contributes to a greater understanding and awareness of substance use problems and mental health issues. It also advances the idea that prevention is beneficial, treatment is successful, and recovery is achievable, and that behavioral health is an essential component of total health. Vendors and the media are urged to speak about these concerns in a courteous and truthful manner in order to lessen stigma.
The Rockville jury parking lot, located at the intersection of East Jefferson and Monroe Streets, offers free parking.
