Boston Recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day

BPHC and partners to celebrate the importance of recovery and highlight the resources available to residents throughout September to mark National Recovery Month.

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) are remembering those who lost their lives as a result of the opioid epidemic as they mark International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, August 31. The City of Boston extends sincere condolences to the neighbors who have experienced the tragedy of losing a loved one to a fatal overdose. Mayor Wu and BPHC are also highlighting their ongoing efforts to expand access to lifesaving care and crucial harm reduction services through events and programming centered around National Recovery Month, which begins on September 1.

Throughout National Recovery Month, BPHC is reminding all Boston residents that the overdose-reversing drug naloxone is safe, easy to use, and widely available. Data analyzed by BPHC found a 38% decrease in fatal overdoses in Boston in 2024 compared to 2023. In 2024, the city also recorded the lowest number of deadly overdoses since 2015.

To mark International Overdose Awareness Day and the start of National Recovery Month, Boston City Hall will be lit in purple on the night of August 31. BPHC and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department are also supporting volunteers and our State and local partners in planting more than 20,000 purple flags on Boston Common. These flags memorialize the lives lost to overdoses in the past decade across our State.  

“Today we are honoring the lives lost to fatal overdoses that have touched every corner of Boston’s communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful for the life-saving work the Boston Public Health Commission and departments across the city are doing to reduce stigma and boost services and treatment. These resources will support individuals living with substance-use disorder as they receive the help they need to lead long and healthy lives.”

“Opioid overdose deaths are tragic, and avoidable,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in reducing fatal overdoses in our city, and the best way we can honor the lives tragically cut short by the opioid crisis is by continuing to increase access to harm reduction services and treatment for those living with substance use disorder.”  

Over the last year, as part of Boston's Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program, BPHC has worked to set up public health vending machines and naloxone distribution kiosks at existing harm reduction, homeless services, and medical program facilities across the city. BPHC deployed two new public health vending machines this month, one outside NeighborHealth in East Boston and another embedded in the Bridge Over Troubled Waters youth shelter program. East Boston now features Boston’s first outdoor public health vending machine.

Late last year, BPHC also announced $1 million in grants to five community organizations to prevent overdose deaths and provide outreach in neighborhoods with the highest overdose rates. These organizations have worked to connect people to substance use treatment and other services, raise public awareness about overdose prevention, and distribute and train people in how to use naloxone. From January through June 2025, Community Opioid Response agencies reported more than 1,200 client engagements and distributed over 2,100 doses of naloxone. 

Uplifting and celebrating individuals in recovery during National Recovery Month is an important part of Boston’s response to the opioid crisis. The City of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commissioner are partnering with organizations on several activities this September: 

• On September 19, recovery centers from the Boston region will hold a cookout at the Shattuck Picnic area in Franklin Park, featuring music, food, tabling and raffles.

• Nubian Square Recovery Day is September 25 at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library (BPL). The event is a collaboration between the BPHC, the Nubian Square Task Force, BPL, and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and will feature live arts, food and entertainment, and health resources. 

• Recovery Month Celebration Day is September 26 at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common. BPHC and the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) partner for this event, which uplifts recovery stories and vital services. 

• A calendar of additional Recovery Month events sponsored by BPHC Community Partners can be found here.

The Health Commission has been steadily increasing prevention services throughout Boston by expanding community outreach, housing and mental health services, harm reduction, and support groups. Harm reduction and treatment referrals are available through BPHC’s AHOPE and PAATHS programs. AHOPE offers lifesaving harm reduction services, including syringe exchange, drug checking to identify the presence of fentanyl and xylazine, naloxone distribution, and screening for HIV, hepatitis, and other bloodborne illnesses that can be spread through intravenous drug use. The PAATHS program connects people to a variety of treatment services, including detox, medication for opioid use disorder, and outpatient treatment programs. For support with substance use disorders, contact the PAATHS program at 1-855-494-4057 or 3-1-1. For more information, visit boston.gov/recovery.   

ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION 

Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is the country’s oldest health department. We envision a thriving Boston where all residents live healthy and fulfilling lives. To accomplish this, BPHC works in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities. Learn more about our work at boston.gov/bphc.