Back-to-School Safety and International Drug Overdose Awareness Day
Schools across Connecticut are welcoming students back to the classroom this week and parents, children and motorists should be extra careful on the road
Back-to-school can be fun – and dangerous, too. Kids waiting for school buses or walking to school may be distracted by their friends so motorists in a hurry to get to work need to be more patient and alert.
Click here for tips on school bus safety and go to safekids.org for advice on keeping kids safe all year round.
I hope you find this information useful as the new academic year gets under way.
I also would like to take a moment to remind you that Friday is International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event aimed at shedding light on addiction and drug-related deaths.
Addiction is a crisis sweeping the nation, and Connecticut is no stranger to this fact. Just this month, we saw more than 70 overdoses on the New Haven Green during a 24-hour period. Thanks to the quick and tireless response from emergency services, we were fortunate there were no fatalities.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there were 985 overdose deaths in Connecticut last year and expect a 7.6 percent increase in fatalities this year.
Opioids account for the majority of drug-related deaths in the U.S. and Connecticut is among the top ten states with opioid-related overdose deaths.
Overdose-related deaths are all too common and entirely preventable. A Roadway of Hope and Today I Matter ceremony will be held on Capitol Grounds on Friday, August 31 at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.