132 Candles, an International Overdose Awareness Day event, will be held Monday, Aug. 31 on the Boothbay Common, Boothbay, Maine. From 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., live music will be provided by Naloxone Training & Resource Tables and from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., there will be speakers, remembrances and a candle lighting ceremony.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on Aug. 31 each year which aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death.

It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.

Addiction, a complex brain disease, is a harrowing path for those who are affected by it and their loved ones. It does not discriminate --- rare is the family untouched by its reach.

There were approximately 132 overdose deaths in Maine over the last three months, according to the Chief Medical Examiner’s office --- a rate of death exceeding that of COVID-19 in the state, and a significant increase from previous years. Forced isolation, disruptions in access to support services, and the mental strains of life during the pandemic have all contributed to this rise in tragic loss.

We invite you to join us in fellowship and love to remember those we have lost, and support those who are still hurting.

Speakers include Boothbay Harbor Peer & Wellness Center Coordinator Keith Arvanitis, the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor interim minister Peter Ilgenfritz, and BRCRC Addiction Outreach Program Director Holly Stover.

Everyone attending is asked to socially distance and wear a mask; a limited number of chairs will be provided but we encourage you to bring your own.

132 Candles is presented by BRCRC’s Addiction Outreach Program, the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, and the Boothbay Harbor Peer & Wellness Center.