THUNDER BAY -- Drug overdose claimed the lives of 37 local people in 2013.
That statistic is made up of 37 real people who had families and friends.
To commemorate Overdose Day, the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy hung shirts to represent each of them on the railing at City Hall on Monday, every one labelled with name tags that included relationships left behind when lives were cut short.
"The signs on them are to emphasize the fact that they're our friends, our families, our co-workers," said the drug strategy's coordinator, Cynthia Olsen.
"They're our community members and it's important to recognize that and honour the people who have lost their lives for something we can do something about."
The Coroner's Office statistics show half of local overdose deaths are due to prescription opioids such as oxycodone. While many of those are suspected of being caused by prescription drug abuse, Olsen insisted awareness and de-stigmatization among legitimate pain medication users is also necessary.
Harm Reduction Committee chair Rick Thompson pointed out local deaths from overdose have been growing since the 1990s.
"We're here primarily to make people aware of the potential power of drugs, including prescription drugs and we have to get more information out about the dangers," he said.
The drug strategy will hold Recovery Day on Wednesday, building its message into one of hope for
