International Overdose Awareness Day 2026

For Immediate Release 

Streetworks remembers those lost to preventable overdose

This is the fifth year the Streetworks team will offer free naloxone training in Churchill Square 

(Edmonton, Aug 26, 2026) – Boyle Street Community Services Streetworks team is hosting an event to remember loved ones we have lost to overdose. The event will be in Churchill Square on August 31 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, and this year’s theme is “Together we Remember.”

"This is a day for us all together to remember those we have lost to drug poisonings. Our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends,” said Patrick Black, LPN, assistant manager and overdose prevention team supervisor. “We must use the best strategies to help those with substance use disorders access a wide scope of prevention, harm reduction, detox and treatment services available." 

This is the fifth year of Streetworks hosting the pop-up in Churchill Square and it is expected to see about 400 people. The pop-up aims to educate, advocate, and train as many people as possible on how to identify overdose and how to use naloxone. 

The most recent statistics show that 770 people died from toxic drugs in Edmonton last year - the highest in Alberta. That breaks down to 2 deaths every day, 1 death every 11 hours, and 64 deaths every month.

“We all need to work together, from Government to non-profits and community to ensure we reach people and get them the resources they need,” stated Black. “This is not just a downtown problem, more than half of the overdose deaths in Edmonton happened in suburban private residences and not in public spaces.”

Thank you to the City of Edmonton for sponsoring this year’s International Overdose Awareness Day pop-up in Churchill square.

Learn more: overdoseday.com