DETROIT – In observance of Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, the Detroit Wayne Integrated Housing Network held a memorial program at Clark Park in Southwest Detroit to remember the lives lost to the opioid epidemic.
Joshua Forsythe is all too familiar with the struggle of addiction.
“I went through addiction myself, and I went through this program, and on the way out, the best thing you can do when you get out of a situation like that is give back,” said Forsythe.
Forsythe is now a certified peer recovery mentor at Abundant Community Recovery Services.
“The disease is going to tell you that you are alone,” Forsythe said. “It’s going to tell you no one cares. It is going to tell you that you don’t matter. It’s going to tell you not to get any help.”
The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network provided Narcan training and distributed free kits to attendees to help save lives
Vincent Rivera took part in the training. He lost two family members to drug overdoses.
“I thank God I was able to get this information so I can help other people out,” said Rivera.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 81,083 people nationwide died of opioid overdoses in 2023, down from 84,181 in 2022.
There was a similar downward trend in Michigan.
“We are making a huge impact, and so what DWIHN is doing, what the providers are doing, is we are adapting,” Forsythe said. “The disease moves very fast, and so have we. That’s why you are seeing these mobile units. We are seeing that people can’t get to help, so we are getting to them.”
Narcan vending machines are located around Wayne County.
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