Dear Editor,

Re: [Overdose messages chalked at city halls, and Our View: Overdoses affect us all, Langley Advance Times, Sept. 2]

Thank you very much for your coverage of events relating to Drug Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31. It was encouraging to see the displays around our community by Moms Stop the Harm (MSTH) as well as the Langley Community Overdose Response Community Action Table (CAT) to raise awareness about this epidemic that is affecting so many in Langley and across BC.

Matthew Claxton’s Overdoses affect us all editorial also helped to shed some light on this important yet often misunderstood issue.

I recently lost a very close family member to a drug overdose, and have experienced first hand the pain and heartbreak of this crisis.

Drug addiction is a complex issue and those who struggle with it need compassion and understanding. As a community, we need to work together to help remove the judgement and shame that often surrounds addiction, and instead focus on providing solutions and support.

Anyone of us can be impacted by the tragedy of addiction and overdose.

Those who are lost leave behind grieving family and friends who remember them for so much more than the way they died.

Wendy McDougall, Walnut Grove

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