The following is a press release from the Town of Wilton.
Both suspected overdoses and deaths due to overdoses continue to rise with annual double-digit rates of increase. There were 1,531 confirmed deaths in Connecticut in 2021, an increase of 11.4% versus 2020 and an increase of 27.7% versus 2019. The 2021 rate of overdose deaths per 100,000 population for Fairfield County was 24.8, or 31% higher than the 2019 rate.
Members of the public are invited to join town officials, town employees and residents outside Town Hall (238 Danbury Rd.) on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. to bring awareness, to remember without stigma those who have died, and to acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.
Purple is the official color of the awareness campaign. Town Hall grounds will be adorned in purple.
Comprehensive information from the CT Department of Public Health about drug overdose prevention is available online.
International Overdose Awareness Day began in Australia and is now observed in countries around the world.