Families honor loved ones lost to overdose and address addiction stigma at Jackson Park
By Lakyra Banks, Mimi Sinotte
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JACKSON, Wis. (WISN) — Families and community members gathered at Jackson Park ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day to honor loved ones lost to overdose and openly discuss the stigma surrounding addiction.
Dawn Fritz, whose son died of a drug overdose six years ago, shared her personal story to raise awareness.
“He always said, ‘Mom, I didn’t ask to be an addict. I didn’t want to be this way,'” Fritz said.
Before his death, Fritz’s son spoke openly about his struggles with addiction in an effort to raise awareness. On this day, Fritz stood before strangers to continue his mission.
“To share my story and to raise awareness for everybody and to let his voice be heard because he struggled for so many years. And he, he wanted so hard to be a person he wanted to be. And I could see it in him. He tried and tried and struggled,” she said.
Public health leaders noted that while drug and overdose deaths have steadily decreased in Washington and Ozaukee counties, hospitalizations remain high. Organizers emphasized that stigma often prevents people from seeking help.
“When we’re breaking that stigma, and we’re opening up those conversations, people are going to be more likely to confide in one another to seek help,” Alex Weiland, the co-lead of the Washington Ozaukee Substance Use Coalition, said.
Events like this one aim to provide families with a space to share their grief and learn about overdose prevention.
“I just think people need to know that, that addiction, that does not define who they are, that it’s, it’s their your son, your daughter, your their everybody. They have hopes and dreams. They, they, they don’t want to be where they’re at,” one participant said.
Weiland stressed the importance of these gatherings in saving lives.
“Overall, the goal of this is to prevent deaths. We don’t want people to die. So it’s really important to continue to have those conversations and be together for that,” Weiland said.
The Washington-Ozaukee County Health Department is hosting another International Overdose Awareness Day event tomorrow night.
The free event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center in Grafton.
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