Polk County proclaims Aug. 31 Overdose Awareness Day; family advocate thanks board

The Polk County Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation recognizing August 31 as Overdose Awareness Day and heard public comment from a local advocate who lost her son to an overdose. The proclamation, read during the meeting, cited national data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and international framing from the World Health Organization.

The proclamation states that substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic disease and notes provisional CDC data showing 80,391 predicted drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending December 2024 in the United States; it calls for recognition of the grief of families and reduced stigma. The board read the proclamation in the meeting and acknowledged participants in the room.

Anne Breeding, founder of Steps of Hope Iowa and a mother who said she lost her son to an overdose on Nov. 1, 2020, addressed the board during the public-comment portion. “A proclamation may look simple on paper, but to families like mine, it means so much more,” Breeding said. She described wearing wristbands bearing the names of other parents who have lost children and said the county’s recognition helps grieving families feel seen.

Breeding urged the county and community to reduce shame and stigma because, she said, “that’s what’s preventing people from getting the help that they need.” She described local visibility efforts surrounding International Overdose Awareness Day, including lighting buildings in purple, and said those public displays helped people feel less alone.

The board’s proclamation and the public comment were presented as part of the meeting’s agenda; no separate motion or vote specific to the proclamation was recorded in the transcript beyond presentation and acknowledgment.

Polk County officials who participated in the meeting also referenced the county’s role in raising awareness and supporting programs that serve people with SUD, though the meeting transcript did not record new funding or policy changes tied directly to the proclamation.