Overdose Awareness Walk continues growing tradition in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Family and friends gather for a tradition from the Mobile County Health Department–to help bring an end to drug deaths. Saturday was the third annual Overdose Awareness Walk.

A group of more than a dozen people made several laps around Lyons Park Saturday. People like Katy Meador walked in memory of the people they lost. She lost her son only two years ago.

“Talk to your kids. Talk to your friends. I tell my friends, don’t share any medications with your friends, even if you know they came from your pharmacy. If you give it to someone else and then they think, Hey, this is great, then maybe they tried to obtain it in another way and then it becomes a problem,” said Meador. Saturday’s event is a reminder that the opioid crisis is far from over and that there are resources out there to help.

“Overdose doesn’t necessarily have to be a death sentence. We have various vendors. So they will get resources, access to treatment,” said Mobile County Health Department Overdose Recovery Peer John Richardson.

Opioid deaths can be a quiet killer, a subject friends and families don’t always want to talk about, the walkers Saturday want to spread the word and let people know about the dangers in casual drug use.

“Thinking what they’re doing is innocuous, whether it’s having a drink or doing something, what they think is, you know, is okay and there’s a there’s some illicit drug in it that’ll kill you,” said walker John Grow.

Chad: Reducing harm and reducing stigma, part of the goal as people make their way around this Mobile Park, Chad Petri WKRG News 5.

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