The Boston Common flags, along with resource tables providing information on harm reduction, addiction prevention and recovery resources, will be displayed through Sept. 4.
Twenty-thousand purple flags were planted on Boston Common in front of the State House in 2022 to commemorate the people who lost their lives to drug overdoses in Massachusetts over the last 10 years.
But just by looking at him, one would never know that Marc, whom Parenteau described as outgoing and a big sports fan, was struggling with substance use and addiction. He died at the age of 30. Gov. Maura Healey, who planted multiple flags in the somber display, presented Parenteau with a proclamation Thursday morning marking Overdose Awareness Day. It states that misconceptions and stigmas around substance use disorder are hindering people from getting the care they need.
There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated fatal opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts last year, a record high that is a 9.1% increase from 2016,DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, who previously called the statistics"devastating" and"tragic," joined Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh, and other officials at the Thursday morning event organized by the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
The flags planted on Boston Common help raise awareness of the opioid crisis locally, nationally and globally, Driscoll said. Each flag also symbolizes a brother, son, mother, daughter, friend or human being who meant"a lot" to their communities and the people around them, she said. "Far too many families have an empty seat at the table today because they lost a loved one, because their addiction either went undiagnosed or untreated," Trahan said.
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