The department’s Engagement & Belonging Committee teamed up with the University of Iowa Health Care Addiction and Recovery Collaborative (ARC), as well as the Iowa City area’s Community & Family Resources addiction treatment center, to host an event for the community in support of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, which is “the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those we have lost to an overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms.” The United States Drug Enforcement Administration recognizes overdose as one of the world’s worst public health crises.

Set at FilmScene the Thursday evening prior, the event was free and open to the public. Before the selected film screening, attendees could visit information tables from the three sponsors, write a dedication to a lost loved one to post on the remembrance board, or pick up free doses of naloxone—a lifesaving medication that can revive someone who has overdosed on opioids.

Complimentary soda or popcorn was served to attendees to enjoy during a screening of the Netflix documentary, Recovery Boys, which follows four men through part of their recovery journeys at the West Virginia residential substance abuse treatment center, Jacob’s Ladder. Film reviews from its 2018 release focused on the de-stigmatization of addiction, with Forbes stating directly in its review title that the movie “humanizes the opioid epidemic.”

Following the film, a panel of providers and recovering patients discussed their reactions to it and answered questions from the audience from everything about managing relationships with addicts to recovery resources in the state of Iowa.

Andrea Weber, MD, clinical associate professor of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, wore a shirt embroidered with the phrase “Narcan Enables Breathing,” which helped open the discussion between the audience and the panel. Those participating in the panel discussion included a UI Health Care behavioral health consultant who had lived experiences with opioid addiction and is now in recovery, a woman who lost two of her three children to opioid addiction, and a recovery advocate who had recently celebrated his eighth month of sobriety from opioids.

“Overdose Awareness Day is an opportunity to memorialize those lost to drug-related deaths and galvanize our community to support changes to eliminate those deaths,” Weber said. “This event highlighted the amazing and raw stories of those impacted by opioid use disorder and overdose deaths. I hope that the audience felt safe to reflect on their own experiences and prejudices and inspired to effect positive change. I am so grateful for events like these and personally left very hopeful in our UI community and beyond!”

The department’s Vice Chair of Engagement and Belonging Jeydith Gutierrez, MD, MPH, agreed with Weber. She said:

This event provided a valuable opportunity to collaborate with fellow providers at UI Health Care and the broader community to raise awareness about opioid use disorder and its far-reaching effects. The powerful stories shared in the film and by the panelists allowed us to connect on a deeper level with the personal experiences of those affected, serving as a reminder that this disease touches every corner of our communities. It also underscored the critical role of empathy and compassion in supporting patients and their families throughout their recovery journeys. The event aligns with UI Health Care’s mission to foster engagement and belonging by promoting understanding and breaking down the stigma surrounding addiction. By creating a more compassionate and inclusive environment for healing and recovery, we can continue to change medicine, and change lives.