Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Overdose topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Olympia proclaims International Overdose Awareness Day; Thurston County and youth council promote naloxone and a new PSA
Summary
The City proclaimed Aug. 31, 2025, as International Overdose Awareness Day. Thurston County Public Health described naloxone distribution, trainings and a new vending machine, and Olympia Youth Council debuted a one‑minute PSA urging bystander action and use of naloxone.
The Olympia City Council on Aug. 25, 2025, read a proclamation designating Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day and called for community action to reduce stigma and improve access to prevention and recovery services.
Katie Strzok, opioid and overdose response program manager at Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, told the council the county provides free overdose‑response training and naloxone distribution, and that a naloxone vending machine recently installed at Franklin Street Harm Reduction provides 24‑hour access. Strzok said the county has conducted more than 100 community trainings annually and emphasized a victim‑centered approach to overdose grief and response. She announced an Overdose Awareness Day event on Aug. 27 at Heritage Park (2 p.m.–7 p.m.) offering memorials, naloxone distribution and educational resources.
The Olympia Youth Council presented a one‑minute PSA produced by youth, which listed signs of an opioid overdose, emphasized that "one lethal dose can be smaller than a grain of sand," and encouraged carrying naloxone and using Good Samaritan protections when intervening. Youth Council members Nolan O'Connell (chair) and Shruti Lingamalatami (policy vice chair) introduced the video and urged peers to speak openly about overdose and recovery.
Why it matters: County public‑health officials and youth leaders emphasized prevention, awareness and rapid access to naloxone as life‑saving measures. Councilmembers praised the youth PSA and noted the importance of youth‑to‑youth messaging.
Next steps: Thurston County and local partners will hold the Aug. 27 event at Heritage Park, and the Youth Council’s PSA will be distributed via the city’s TV station, social media, and community partners; councilmembers said they would assist with further distribution as appropriate.
Ending: The council supported the proclamation and thanked county staff and youth volunteers for their work to reduce overdose harms in Olympia.
