AMHERST — Town Hall is being illuminated with purple lights for the next week as Amherst recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day.
The lighting started Friday. Purple is the color of recovery, symbolizing hope and support.
The awareness day aims to honor and remember those who have lost their lives to overdose, to support families, friends and loved ones who’ve been affected by the opioid crisis, and to take action to save lives. National Recovery Month, observed every September, follows the awareness day.
This year’s theme is “25 Years On. Still Needed.”
Amherst has taken several steps in recent years to supplement and strengthen community resources to prevent opioid overdose.
Among these are ensuring access to naloxone, or Narcan, and launching a mini-grant program to support community-based initiatives, with funds coming from opioid settlement funds.
Narcan cabinets are in town buildings, including Town Hall, the Bangs Community Center, the police station and the public libraries. Outdoor Narcan cabinets were also installed this week in public spaces, including at the pocket park, known as Triangle Park, situated near the Bangs Community Center, and at Mill River Recreation Area in North Amherst.
The Amherst Public Health Department has also been working with Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service, or CRESS, and other partners to distribute harm reduction kits. These kits include Narcan, fentanyl testing strips, wound care supplies, gloves, condoms and resource cards.
The health department has also launched a mini-grant program to support community-based efforts to prevent opioid misuse, reduce overdose risk, and assist individuals and families who have been affected by the opioid crisis. These mini grants can be used to support harm reduction efforts, prevention activities, such as evidence-based education programs and youth wellness campaigns, recovery support programs and facilitating access to treatment.
Many of these initiatives are being funded by opioid settlement funds following the state’s agreements with several opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies for their role in enabling the overdose epidemic. So far, Amherst has received about $440,000 and conducted a survey and public forum to gather community input on how this money should be used.
