"That person is still a person:" Tucsonans take on stigma of drug use and abuse

Every year on Aug. 31, International Drug Overdose Awareness Day, communities around the world remember loved ones whose lives were lost or permanently changed by a drug overdose.

Hope Incorporated and Enlightening Hope Project held Tucson's fourth annual event Saturday where they gave out bags containing Narcan and a business card with a direct line to mental health and substance abuse support.

The theme of the night was "together we can," inviting those whose lives were touched by addiction to stand together and support each other. Those who lost a loved one to an overdose were able to write their names on a heart and hang it on the 'angel tree.'

KGUN9/Alex Dowd

Naomi Vega is the founder of the Enlightening Hope Project. She's been hosting an event for International Overdose Awareness Day every year since she lost her son in 2020.

“The person that’s addicted or in recovery, they have a lot of shame and a lot of guilt going on in their life," she said. "I found that with my son after he passed through friends and family that a lot of the stuff he was going through he was too ashamed to talk about.”

She brings together groups around Tucson that provide support, resources and services for those in all stages of addiction, and for the people who love them.

This is the second year where Hope Incorporated hosted the event at their Midtown Tucson building.

Chris Chavez works for Hope Incorporated. He was one of the many people there in recovery. He said stigma is one of the biggest blocks for people asking for help with their addiction.

“Events like this are super important just to show people that they’re not alone. It’s a stigma-free environment," Chavez said. “People being extremely judgmental or people being ashamed to seek treatment. People feeling guilty or like they’re not worth the treatment has been some of the bigger barriers.”

The Centers for Disease Control reported that from 2022 to 2023, there were 3% fewer overdose deaths nationally. However, here in Pima County, deaths rose to the highest level in 2023 with the health department reporting nearly 500 deaths .

“I’m going to be realistic about it, it’s not pretty," Vega said. "It affects the community as a whole. We have a rise in homelessness, criminality, petty crime, so people think people aren’t worth recovery.”

She said that's why it is especially important to help people see those in active addiction from a different perspective.

“That person is still a person," she said. "They’re not just someone sitting on the corner slumped over. They’re a person. Period.”

If you or someone you love is in active addiction or struggling with recovery, Enlightening Hope Project recommends calling (520) 543-0023 or (520) 553-7120 for immediate, direct help.

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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com , or connecting on Instagram or X .