---
title: "International Overdose Awareness Day: 31 August"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/4290c8b5-5451-4021-b3b9-1f8833e49961
source_url: "https://www.overdoseday.com/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/education/stack/173a2d68-ee29-49c6-96ab-230451a0150d
summary: "International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global initiative observed on August 31st that brings communities together to remember those lost to overdose and advocate for prevention and harm-reduction solutions. The 2026 theme \"25 Years On. Still Needed\" emphasizes that while overdose is preventable through compassionate, community-wide efforts, the day remains necessary to combat ongoing stigma and promote evidence-based policy."
tags: "overdose-awareness, harm-reduction, community-action, mental-health, drug-policy, prevention"
key_entities: "International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) (event), Matthew Nick (person), Tommy Carson (person), Chace Taylor Malone (person), Blake (person), harm-reduction (concept), overdose-prevention (concept), stigma-reduction (concept)"
classification: "reference"
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visibility: public
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status: "final"
---

# International Overdose Awareness Day: 31 August

Skip to content International Overdose Awareness Day 2026: 25 Years On. Still Needed International Overdose Awareness Day 2026 Look back to see the impact of IOAD 2025... Read more >> Share this page Every August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) brings a global community together to take action on overdose. Hold an event, spread the message, take action today. This year the theme for IOAD is 25 Years On. Still Needed. For 25 years, International Overdose Awareness Day has brought people together to remember those we’ve lost and to take action to save lives. The truth is, we shouldn’t still need this day. But we do. Overdose continues to affect every community. Yet it can be prevented. We know how to reduce risk and keep people safe. By speaking openly, learning from one another, and treating each other with care and respect, we build a world where fewer lives are lost. Because while this day is still needed, it doesn’t have to be forever. #IOAD2026 #OverdoseAware #EndOverdose Overdose is preventable – when we act What we stand for International Overdose Awareness Day is driven by the following principles... Overdose can and must be prevented Overdose prevention solutions exist – let’s use them. Criminalizing drug use hasn’t worked. Compassionate alternatives must be pursued. Policy and legislation must exist to protect individuals and communities, and ensure basic human rights and needs are met. Everyone has a right to respectful and comprehensive health care. Only a community-wide effort can end overdose. Join us to take action on overdose today. Ways to get involved Hold an event Host or attend an International Overdose Awareness Day event to remember those lost to overdose, learn more about overdose, or advocate for change to end overdose. Get resources Download our campaign, advocacy and education resources and share messages about overdose and overdose prevention in your community or workplace today. Post a tribute Post a tribute to a loved one who has passed away from an overdose on the International Overdose Awareness Day tribute page. Get merchandise Buying and wearing merchandise is a great way to show your support and spread the messages of International Overdose Awareness Day. 2025 IOAD Partners' Report Download our 2025 report now to find out more about the impact of our collective efforts to end overdose. Read report Tributes from the community Matthew Nick He’s now my Angel ... Tommy Carson Almost two years of not being able to hug you. Torture everyday. I miss you. I love you. ... Mom Chace Taylor Malone My Chace. My son. My teacher. You were magnetic. You were love. You were magic. From the moment you came into this world, you brought with you a light that was entirely your own — and you spent your life sharing it with everyone you met. You were the friend who showed up. The one who saw the new kid standing alone and walked right over. The one who stood up for others when no one else would. The one who checked in on the elderly woman long after the job was done, simply because you cared. You rooted for people. You saw their light and wanted to illuminate it. You brought so many people to our family — not because you had to, but because that is simply who you were. You struggled, my love. And I wish with every breath I have that I had known then what I know now. That the world had offered us the resources, the language, and the understanding to walk you out of your darkness the way you so freely walked others through theirs. You fought stigma, judgment, and the fear of not being loved — silently and alone. You deserved so much more than silence. You did not know what was in that pill. And that lack of knowledge took you from us far too soon. But Chace — you have never truly left. You are in every family we support, every resource we share, every student who learns your story and decides to ask for help. You are in your brother Blake, who serves his community every day as a Firefighter and Paramedic. You are in your friends — your family — who show up year after year in your honor. You are in the children who come for Sunday visits, and in the ones who call me Grandma V. You once told me as a little boy, “Mom, I chose you.” I carry that with me every single day. And I choose you back — in every presentation, every Narcan kit, every hand extended to a family who feels as lost as we once did. The iMPACT Foundation LA is not just your legacy. It is your essence, still alive and moving through this world. You made an iMPACT, my son. You still do. Until we meet again — I love you to every corner of this universe and back. Forever your Momma. ... Victoria — Founder & Executive Director, The iMPACT Foundation LA Daniel Cutliffe I remember some of the happiest times of our childhood together when I miss you. I will carry these memories in my heart until we meet again. I love and miss you every single day brother. ... Jacqueline Joel I will love you forever my beautiful son. You are with Jesus now, free from sorrow and pain. Till we meet again…… Love, mom Rianon It’s coming up on 5 years since drugs took you from our lives. We miss your laughter, your hugs and watching you be a mom before drugs took over and won. Your daughter is a beautiful spirit in our lives that offers us glimpses of you. You would be so proud of her. I miss you and love you #everysecondofeveryday ... Mama (Denise) Read more tributes We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Accept All Privacy Policy