LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of people gathered at Jefferson Square Park on Saturday evening for VOCAL-KY’s third annual International Overdose Awareness Rally.
The nonprofit recently released a roadmap for the Louisville Metro Government to end overdose. It includes access to harm reduction, housing, and providing services instead of incarcerating people.
“It’s better to protect them, give them therapy, give them housing, love them through it because a lot of us, we need that,” said Sabrina Evans, who spoke at the rally.
She has been in recovery for 26 years since overdosing at the age of 15.
Evans and several others marched through the downtown area and ended up at the Muhammad Ali Center for closing remarks. Evans was honored to be part of the event because of the support she’s received through VOCAL-KY.
“Nobody’s ever seen worth in me until VOCAL, so it means a lot because all these people out here. They deserve to feel like they’re loved, they deserve to feel like they matter because they do,” Evans said. “All humans matter. All of them.”
There were 1,984 overdose deaths across the state, according to the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report. This is an almost 10% decrease from 2022.
However, advocates are concerned about the rise in overdose deaths in Black communities, which increased by 5% from 2022 to 2023.