OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - Overcoming addiction is considered a lifelong battle, but can be easier to manage when addressing the root cause of the problem. Sunday, organizers of a local event brought awareness of resources for International Overdose Awareness Day.
A man is filling in a paper butterfly, making sure his work of art is filled with color. It's International Overdose Awareness Day, and his butterfly signifies the remembering of loved ones and sharing stories of recovery, like the ones from Sunny Soto-Briscoe who's dealt with addiction.
"I am the first to get sober in my family and it's a journey, a personal journey," said Soto-Briscoe. "I'm here and I support these types of events because I think it's extremely important to release the stigma around drug usage and really deal with the roots of drug use and not the shame of what could happen through your journey of usage."
This is the fifth year that the North County LGBTQ Resource Center has hosted International Overdose Awareness Day.
They've even created a memorial for people whose family members died due to addiction.
"It's very year we would like to create this moment of coming together and check balances and see exactly what has happened this past year. Have we done good or not," said Max Disbosdi, the executive director for the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. "And I think the data are showing that intervention does matter and it really is helping saving lives."
And for people like Soto-Briscoe, it's important to come to the core of why addiction can become a problem in the first place.
"Through giving resources and test strips and Narcan and teaching about those things, so I hope that if anything today, people learn that it's not really the usage that's the issue, it's the main root causes that lead you to that, like trauma, mental health, affordable housing, those are all harm reduction in our communities," said Soto-Briscoe.
