Ashtabula County Recognizes Overdose Awareness Day-On August 27, 2026, the Ashtabula County Commissioners presented a proclamation to the Ashtabula County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board recognizing Overdose Awareness Day in Ashtabula County.
Overdose Awareness Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of substance use and overdose in our community, while remembering and honoring the lives lost. In 2025, 23 members of the Ashtabula County community lost their lives to fatal overdoses, leaving behind families, friends, and loved ones who continue to feel that loss. We also remember the many others we have lost throughout the years.
This day is not only about remembering those we have lost, but also about recognizing the hope, prevention, recovery, and lifesaving work happening throughout our community. We are incredibly grateful for our first responders, law enforcement, healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, peer supporters, community organizations, and countless individuals who respond when someone is experiencing an overdose and work every day to prevent the next one.
In 2025 alone, nearly 7,000 naloxone kits were distributed throughout Ashtabula County. Every kit represents a chance to intervene, a chance to save a life, and a chance for someone to have another day to seek recovery. Naloxone saves lives. Naloxone gives families, friends, first responders, and community members the ability to act when seconds matter.
Overdose Awareness Day reminds us that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a story. It is a day to remember those we have lost, support those who are struggling, thank those who continue to respond, and remind our community that recovery is possible and help is available.
Pictured from left to right: Commissioner Casey Kozlowski, Christy Fisher from the MHRS Board, Commissioner Kathryn Whittington, Kaitie Hart from the MHRS Board, Commissioner J.P. Ducro.
