A local nonprofit organization will recognize International Overdose Awareness Day in downtown Ocala this week in light of a year that has already seen 32 overdose deaths in the city.
On Thursday, Picking Up The Pieces will gather to remember loved ones lost to overdose and fentanyl in Marion County.
Earlier this year, a 2023 County Health Rankings National Findings Report showed that Marion County has one of the highest drug overdose mortality rates in the state of Florida.
According to the report, Marion County currently experiences 40 overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, which is the fifth highest among the 67 counties in Florida.
During the most recent meeting of the Ocala City Council, reports by the chiefs of Ocala Fire Rescue and the Ocala Police Department showed that in just Ocala alone, emergency personnel have responded to 227 overdoses through August 13, 2023.
Of those incidents, 32 have resulted in death.
In comparison, through the same period in 2022, OFR and OPD responded to 286 overdose calls, which represents a 21% increase over this year.
However, that period saw the same number of overdose deaths at 32.
During the event on Thursday, the organization says it hopes to honor the legacy of those lost to drug overdoses by displaying their photos, hearing stories about their lives, and sharing resources with those fighting addiction.
Picking Up The Pieces was founded in 2018 by Michelle Pepin after she lost her son, Ian, to a combination of fentanyl, carfentanyl, and methamphetamine.
“Our primary goal is to reach out to the community and offer support, resources, and inform those who don’t know anything about what is really going on in the streets,” says Pepin about the organization.
Recently, the organization celebrated the addition of a new billboard in Nebraska, joining several others that the group has sponsored across Marion County.
The billboards show the victims of drug overdoses with a simple message:
“Substance use doesn’t define who our loved ones are. Listen without judgement and know there is help.”
For more information about the nonprofit organization, or to make a contribution to their cause, visit Picking Up The Pieces online.