As governments and health officials around the country continue to grapple with the effects of drug abuse in the United States, countless families have been left torn apart. One of the most devastating examples of this is the fact that overdoses remain the most prevalent cause of accidental deaths in the US. Of these overdoses, most take place due to opioid abuse, fueling the epidemic that has ravaged our country.1 To commemorate those lost to overdose, Banyan Treatment Centers Massachusetts is observing Black Balloon Day.
What Is Black Balloon Day?
Black Balloon Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the very real dangers of drug abuse, overdose, and addiction. Roughly 10% of adults residing in the US will live through some kind of substance use disorder. Of that number, over 75% will avoid treatment or recovery.2 This lack of care is a large contributor to the ever-growing overdose rate that affects Americans all around the country. This holiday seeks to spread that crucial awareness about the dangers of substance abuse and the risks involved with leaving it unaddressed. A primary goal of the day is to mitigate the damage caused by the opioid epidemic and hopefully lower the number of people addicted.
When Is Black Balloon Day?
Honored every year on March 6th, Black Balloon Day was first conceived in 2015 by the family of Greg Tremblay, a 38-year-old father of four who tragically lost his life to an overdose on this day. His mother-in-law, Diane, and sister-in-law, Lauren Hurley, started Black Balloon Day to memorialize Greg. It is also dedicated to spreading awareness about the very real dangers of drug abuse and what can happen when left untreated. No family should have to experience this kind of loss. Through this holiday, steps are taken to move forward.
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The Importance of Overdose Awareness
Accidental overdoses are a deeply troubling occurrence. It is difficult to consider that overdoses are technically preventable. What happens in many cases is that the stigma around addiction and admitting to such a problem restricts vulnerable individuals from getting the help they need. In other words, people would rather pretend the problem doesn’t exist, resulting in the overdoses and deaths of countless people on an annual basis.
What Black Balloon Day seeks to accomplish is bridging that gap of understanding and getting people the care that they need before it is too late. Whether a family chooses to release actual balloons or do so metaphorically, we owe it to remember those we have lost. To do this, our Wilmington rehab center offers Massachusetts addiction treatment for various kinds of addictions that can help people turn their lives around before it reaches that point of no return.
Our Banyan Massachusetts addiction treatment center operates with a variety of addiction care levels which ensures each patient receives the care most suited to their unique needs. So, while one individual may require partial hospitalization, others with less intense symptoms can make use of an outpatient program.
If you have been inspired to take the steps toward a healthy and sober future, call our rehab in Massachusetts at 888-280-4763.
Sources:
- PubMed – Opioid Overdose
- NIH – 10 percent of US adults have drug use disorder at some point in their lives
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