KGH will be shone in purple light on Aug. 31 to recognize Overdose Awareness Day. (File)

KGH will be shone in purple light on Aug. 31 to recognize Overdose Awareness Day. (File)

KGH will be lit up in purple to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day

The day is meant to raise awareness, reduce stigma and recognize grief

  • Aug. 10, 2019 12:00 a.m.

Kelowna General Hospital will be lit up in purple for International Overdose Awareness Day.

KGH’s pedestrian bridge link will be lit up to mark the day meant to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and recognize the grief felt by those who have lost a loved one as a result of a drug overdose.

“In 2016, there were at least 2,946 apparent opioid-related deaths, with another 2,923 occurring between January and September 2017,” reads the Overdose Day website’s Canadian statistics section.

“These reports do not include deaths caused by drugs other than opioids, so the total number of drug-induced deaths will be somewhat higher.”

For more information on International Overdose Awareness Day, visit overdoseday.com.

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