RICHMOND, Va. -- Flags around Virginia are flying at half-staff on Wednesday to mark International Overdose Day. In both the United States and Virginia, there was a record number of overdose deaths in 2021, driven largely by fentanyl.
"This is the only effective way to reverse an opioid overdose," Jordan Siebert, a certified peer recovery specialist with Daily Planet Health Services, said.
Siebert spent Wednesday afternoon in a Richmond parking lot teaching anyone who walked by how to save a life by handing out and training people how to administer naloxone. Also known as NARCAN, the medication can be given to someone who is suffering from an opioid overdose.
In 2021, Virginia saw a record number of overdose deaths of over 2,600.
"We are losing people at an alarming rate," Siebert said.
Siebert overcame substance use herself and now works to help others do the same.
"People who use are everywhere. And getting as many of these out in the community with people who may not think that they need them is really essential for stopping," Siebert said.
Siebert's demonstration was part of a larger event co-hosted by the Daily Planet, not only to mark International Overdose Awareness day but also colorectal cancer.
"Trying to put that out in the community and decreasing the stigma that is tied in with talking about your colorectal health, talking about overdose, because it's something that's impacting almost everyone," Stephanie Cuttino, a registered nurse and clinical operations director with Daily Planet said.
Meanwhile, in Henrico County, a roadside memorial was erected to remember those who have died of an overdose.
Starting as blank white crosses, people wrote names of friends and family. Over the years, they have collected around 2,000 names that are displayed around the state.
"We want a way to come together as a community to say, you know what, we remember you, we love you, we love you still," Nathan Mitchell, an outreach director with the McShin Foundation, said.
Colley Croteau went through the recovery program at McShin but was there on Wednesday to add the name of his roommate who died from fentanyl.
"It's a silent war. Fentanyl is a quiet weapon, almost. And it's just, it's killing middle-aged guys, kids, ripping apart families," Croteau said.
While fentanyl drove records in Virginia last year, preliminary data for the first quarter of 2022 shows the rate may plateau or slow.
Mitchell said while this is a glimmer of hope, efforts to fight the problem need to continue.
"We need to continue to treat addiction as the public health issue that it is instead of continuing to use the failed method of just jail," Mitchell said.
As for Croteau, he now works as a peer recovery specialist at McShin, helping others with the same journey that he's on.
Looking over the sea of crosses serves as a reminder of what's at stake.
"This is real serious. We keep it light but we also keep it serious. So for me and my recovery, it's life and death."
The Virginia Department of Health released its overdose report for the first quarter of 2022 last month. It shows that, for the first time in four years, the state is seeing a decrease in drug overdose deaths in that quarter.
Statewide forensic epidemiologist Rosie Hobron said in addition to a drop in fentanyl-related overdoses, the hopeful numbers are also related to the pandemic.
According to the report, the two types of drugs that did see an increase from last year in the first quarter of the year were cocaine and methamphetamine.
