DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18

DESIGNATING AUGUST 31, 2026, AS "INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE AND REQUIRING THE STATE FLAG TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF IN OBSERVANCE.

WHEREAS, International Overdose Awareness Day is held annually on August 31, and was launched as a global effort to provide people with the opportunity to mourn loved ones publicly, provide information about overdose prevention and drug policy, and reduce the stigmas related to substance abuse disorders; and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70,000 individuals died from an overdose in the United States in 2025; and

WHEREAS, since 2013, a third wave of overdose deaths is attributed to the use of synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which continue to be found in combination with drugs such as heroin, counterfeit pills, tranquilizers, and cocaine; and

WHEREAS, synthetic opioids are the fastest growing cause of overdose deaths, killing Americans every day; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 5.9 million people in the United States age 12 or older struggle with opioid use disorder; and

WHEREAS, the knowing or unknowing use of more than one drug or drug type at the same time, known as polysubstance use or ‘polydrug use’, has been increasing in the United States; and

WHEREAS, polydrug use can increase the risks associated with drug use, including the risk of overdose, due to interactions between substances; and

WHEREAS, in North America, the growing use of stimulants in combination with synthetic opioids has increased to such an extent that it has been referred to as the “fourth wave” of the overdose epidemic; and

WHERE, polysubstance-involved drug overdose deaths have been increasing in Delaware, and synthetic opioids appear to be driving increases in cocaine-involved overdose deaths; and

WHEREAS, drug adulteration, which refers to the presence of substances other than those expected, can increase the risk of overdose; and

WHEREAS, Delaware’s street drug supply has seen an increase in the adulteration of fentanyl with veterinary sedatives like xylazine and medetomidine, local anesthetics like procaine (Novocain), tetracaine, and lidocaine, and stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine; and

WHEREAS, the combination of cocaine and local anesthetics increases the risk and severity of seizures and can lead to bradycardia, hypotension, myocardial depression, and cardiac arrhythmias; and

WHEREAS, overdoses involving veterinary sedatives like xylazine and medetomidine are not responsive to naloxone and have been seen to cause prolonged sedation, hypertension, and bradycardia; and

WHEREAS, emerging adulterants also include substances like phenacetin, which was withdrawn from the medical market by the FDA due to severe adverse effects, and BTMPS, an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has one of the highest drug overdose mortality rates in the country with an estimated 290 Delawareans losing their lives to suspected drug overdose deaths in 2025; and

WHEREAS, recognizing opioid overdose in this State and acknowledging how policy initiatives, educational efforts, and access to services are life-saving measures can help minimize the negative effects the opioid epidemic has caused throughout communities; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, Delaware has seen a decline in overdose deaths, with 2025 having the lowest number of overdose deaths since 2019; and

WHEREAS, declining overdose deaths are a testament to the efficacy of increasing awareness, coordination, and innovative practices of the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health that seek to mitigate the harms associated with the use of adulterated substances and polysubstance use; and

WHEREAS, International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died, acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind, and raise awareness about the needs of individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, that the General Assembly affirms the importance of overdose awareness and hereby designates August 31, 2026, as “International Overdose Awareness Day” in the State of Delaware.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly remembers those who have died from overdose and acknowledges the grief suffered by Delawareans, and people around the world, from losing a loved one to overdose.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day, the State flag is to be lowered to half-staff at State facilities on August 31, 2026, and local governments, businesses, and individual Delawareans are encouraged to do the same.

SYNOPSIS

This Joint Resolution designates August 31, 2026 as "International Overdose Awareness Day" in Delaware and requires the state flag to be flown at half-staff in observance and to honor those whose lives were taken too soon.

Author: Senator Hansen