Save the Date:

International Overdose Awareness Day

August 31st, 2025

6pm - 8pm

Westbrook Town Green

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. This day is an annual global effort to take action on overdose. In pursuit of this, communities around the world acknowledge this day with events to honor the lives lost to overdose, offer education and resources, and explore overdose prevention solutions.

One of the key principles guiding this international campaign is that "only a community-wide effort can end overdose". In Connecticut, there were 1,328 drug overdose deaths reported in 2023. The CT DPH reports that Connecticut residents are more likely to die from unintentional drug overdose than a motor vehicle crash. WYFS invites you to join us on International Overdose Awareness Day as we come together as a community to remember those lost to overdose, raise awareness, and offer hope and support for recovery.

Medication Lock Boxes

Westbrook Youth and Family Services and community partners are distributing medication lock boxes with the purpose of preventing substance misuse and accidental overdose. Lock boxes are available free of charge for community members to safely store prescription, over-the-counter, and/or recreational drugs. The boxes include set-up instructions, a pamphlet of resources, and small card with a QR code to complete a quick, confidential survey.

Medication lock boxes can currently be found at:

• Westbrook Youth and Family Services

• Westbrook Public Library

• Westbrook Social Services

• Westbrook Congregational Church

• St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church

View the pamphlet of resources and information that is included in every lock box:

If you received a lock box and haven’t yet done so, please take a minute to complete this form:

This survey is to anonymously collect demographic information (age) of individuals who receive lock boxes. Data collection is important to learn about the efficacy of programs, and helps make it possible to continue funding projects like this. Data will be kept private, and no identifiable information will be collected by WYFS. 

WYFS’s Safety from Substances programs are made possible thanks to generous funding by the Westbrook Foundation.