NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — International Overdose Awareness Day is marking its 25th year, yet officials say it's imperative that preventative measures continue.

Community members gathered in Newport News at Love the Tree of Life Clinic on 25th Street to remember victims of fatal drug overdoses through prayer and a moment of silence. Various local organizations set up there and distributed life-saving resources.

Fatal drug overdoses remain a leading cause of unintentional death in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health, as 1,197 people in the state died from drug overdoses in 2025, a 23% decrease from 2024, VDH reports. It added that death certificate data for 2025 are not final and are subject to change.

Despite the ongoing impact of the crisis, local health officials noted recent progress in reducing fatal outcomes across the region.

"While we've been fortunate to see a reduction in the overdose death rate in our communities, that has been intentionally done through a lot of focus efforts from our community partners," said Tes La Dieu, community health improvement manager for the Hampton and Peninsula Health Districts. "We've been out here saving lives with Narcan distribution, teaching people how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose."

At the event, 10 on Your Side met two sisters, Susan Egyud and Jamie Reno. They're part of a group called Voices of Faith in Action at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Yorktown. The women spent time visiting the tables to gather information to bring back to their neighborhood.

"Just because I don't need it doesn't mean I don't need to not know about it. These are things I think everybody needs to know about. So our goal and coming today was being able to take a lot of this information as much as we can back to our church, to our voices of faith, group and then outwards, spread it as much as we can," said Susan Egyud.

REVIVE! Is the Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education program for Virginia. Groups and individuals interested in receiving free training can call 757-594-7320 or e-mail [email protected].

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