Residents gathered at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library for an overdose prevention workshop and candlelight vigil hosted by Phoenix House of New York and Long Island on Aug. 31, International Overdose Awareness Day.
The Brooklyn Community Recovery Center, operated by Phoenix House, serves residents in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. The organization said the area has a fatal overdose rate of 31.9 per 100,000 residents, making it the neighborhood with the ninth highest rate in New York City.
"At a time when federal health cuts threaten our community's wellness, slowing the overdose crisis demands not just remembrance, but also deeper resources and sustained action," said Ann-Marie Foster, president and CEO of Phoenix House of New York & Long Island.
The gathering comes as overdose continues to affect communities across New York City, despite a significant decline in deaths in 2024. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2,192 New Yorkers died of overdose that year, down from 3,056 in 2023. Black and Latino New Yorkers died at about twice the rate of white New Yorkers.
The event combined memorial activities with practical resources that residents can use beyond the gathering. Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, can reverse an opioid overdose, making training and access an important part of community-based overdose prevention.
Phoenix House’s Brooklyn center provides recovery support and connects residents with treatment and other services. Its broader programs include residential and outpatient treatment, medication for addiction treatment, mental health services and educational and vocational support.
The organization plans to continue outreach and overdose prevention efforts in Brooklyn beyond International Overdose Awareness Day, including community education, naloxone training and recovery support. The event also provided an opportunity for people currently participating in recovery programs and those who have completed them to connect with one another and with local residents.
