Photos by Frank Santangelo and by SO A Members
Hundreds of people gathered this past Tuesday evening on the Somerville High gymnasium concourse for the 2nd Annual Candlelight Memorial Vigil.
The vigil program kicked off at 7pm. Prior to the start of the program many in the crowd found time for catching up with friends and speaking various local resources who had tables set up on the concourse as with all of the groups gatherings, Narcan was available on site courtesy of the AAC Needle Exchange.
It’s been a year since Somerville Overcoming Addiction held its first candlelight memorial vigil for those who we have lost to drug overdoses. Sadly, the number of deaths attributed to accidental overdose continues to rise.
The state reports that 1,300 people died from drug overdoses in 2014, and many believe that that number is still low. Families all across the commonwealth buried loved ones in the past year, and Somerville is no exception.
There are efforts under way to address the opiate epidemic at the local, state, and national levels, but this problem won’t be solved overnight. This is a long game, so as we continue to lose people to overdoses we must continue to gather in remembrance of those we’ve lost, to grieve together as a community. We also must continue to raise public awareness and give hope to those struggling with substance abuse disorder. A vigil can serve to do all of the above.
