Published: 08/15/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Michigan will observe August 31 as Overdose Awareness Day, under a proclamation issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II.

For anyone affected by opioid addiction in the state, the figures the proclamation cites are worth reading closely, because they describe both real progress and a gap that is not closing.

August 31 is recognized internationally as a day to acknowledge overdose deaths and the grief of the people left behind. The state describes the day’s purpose as being in part to “publicly challenge the stigma associated with substance use disorders and overdose.”

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers

Michigan recorded 1,877 drug overdose deaths in 2024, a rate of 18.5 deaths per 100,000 residents. Preliminary figures for 2025 showed fewer than 1,800 deaths, which the state describes as a continued decrease.

Another figure sets the scale of exposure. In 2023, nearly 1.8 million people in Michigan aged 12 and older reported using an illicit drug in the past month.

Naloxone use tracks the same picture from the emergency response side. In 2024, Emergency Medical Services recorded naloxone administrations at 10.5 per 1,000 patient encounters. The state notes that naloxone matters not only for first responders and emergency personnel but for family, friends, and people outside EMS entirely.

Where the Decline Is Not Reaching

The proclamation includes a figure that complicates the good news. In 2023, the rate of fatal drug overdoses among Black, non-Hispanic residents in Michigan was nearly three times the rate among white, non-Hispanic residents.

Black residents also experienced a higher rate of overdoses resulting in emergency department visits. A statewide decline can coexist with a widening disparity, and this is what that looks like in one state’s data. Falling totals do not tell you whose deaths fell.

Understanding Overdose and Naloxone

Opioids slow breathing. In an overdose, breathing slows or stops before the heart does, which is why the window for intervention exists at all. Signs include unresponsiveness, slow or gurgling breathing, pinpoint pupils, blue or grey lips and fingertips, and skin that is cold and clammy.

Naloxone reverses opioid overdose by displacing opioids from receptors in the brain. It works within minutes, does nothing to a person who has not taken opioids, and cannot be misused.

It is available over the counter at pharmacies. Because fentanyl is potent and long-acting relative to naloxone, more than one dose is sometimes needed, and emergency services should be called regardless.

Michigan has a standing order allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone without an individual prescription, and a Good Samaritan law providing immunity from certain possession charges for people who seek help during an overdose. Knowing that second point matters, because fear of arrest is a documented reason people hesitate to call.

Harm Reduction and Treatment

Medication for opioid use disorder has the strongest evidence base of any treatment. Buprenorphine and methadone reduce cravings and withdrawal by acting on opioid receptors.

Naltrexone blocks opioid effects but requires full withdrawal before starting. These are treatments in their own right rather than steps toward some more legitimate form of recovery.

Fentanyl test strips can detect fentanyl in pills or powder, though they do not measure how much is present. Counterfeit pills pressed to look like prescription medication frequently contain it.

Peer support runs alongside all of this. Narcotics Anonymous meetings are free and available across Michigan, including virtual options. Some people use NA with medication, some use one without the other, and neither choice makes the other less valid.

Marking the Day Locally

The state says it is joining the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and community networks to give people a way to mourn publicly without guilt or shame. Vigils, resource fairs, and naloxone trainings are common around August 31, and many are free and open to anyone.

If you have lost someone, these events exist for that. If you are in active use or early recovery, they are also among the easier places to pick up naloxone and ask questions without being asked for identification or insurance.

Finding Help for Opioid Addiction

Narcotics.com maintains a national NA meeting directory searchable by state and city, with filters for meeting type, format, and language, including virtual and Spanish-language meetings.

Our Michigan pages cover meetings across the state, and our treatment content covers detox, inpatient and outpatient care, and medication for opioid use disorder.

For treatment referrals, the SAMHSA National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish.