Heartbroken Moms Urge Focus on Health-Centered Strategies to Combat Overdose Tragedies

NEW YORK, NY – The overdose epidemic continues to ravage lives, with nearly 90,000 fatalities in the U.S. last year alone. Notably, this crisis disproportionately affects Black and Native communities. On the eve of Mother’s Day, grieving mothers urged lawmakers to prioritize health-centered strategies to combat overdoses and oppose punitive drug policies that merely exacerbate incarceration without aiding those grappling with addiction. During a heartfelt press conference on May 7th, mothers shared their tragic experiences, including Tamara Olt, M.D., who emphasized a compassionate public health framework to address this urgent issue. Advocates, including Anita Garrett, stressed the importance of education and naloxone accessibility, particularly in marginalized areas. They united in a poignant call for legislative change, emphasizing evidence-based health responses over criminalization.