The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced it’s teaming up with non-profit Vital Strategies to launch a public arts campaign aimed at broadening awareness of the drug overdose crisis. Department senior opioid advisor Amy Dolinky tells WSJM News the campaign will set up an art exhibit in Detroit from August 31 through September 18.
“We’re having around 30 artists being commissioned to exhibit some of their existing work or some of their new work related to their personal experience with the drug overdose crisis,” Dolinky said.
The campaign will also commission three murals in Detroit focusing on recovery.
“We recognize that the drug overdose crisis doesn’t just impact individuals that use substances or individuals with substance use disorder. It impacts their families, their friends, their entire community.”
Dolinky says overdoses nationally went up by 30% from 2019 to 2020, while in Michigan the increase was 16%. International Overdose Awareness Day will be on August 31.
