I hate politics right now in Colorado. So allow me to tell you a community story.

This story is about a young man named Josiah M. Vigil. Josiah was 17 years old.

Yes, I said was. He was the victim of a fatal overdose after taking a pill sold to him by an adult.

We remember being 17. Adults around you give you some freedom to make mistakes. Which we all did at least once. We lived long enough to learn better.

Unfortunately, Josiah didn’t.

After his death, Josiah’s grandmother Betty Rodriguez asked the court to sentence the convicted man to 6,300 days in honor of the days that Josiah lived. The judge granted her request.

That sentence said something his family needed the community to know – everyday of his life had value. He was loved.

That is why this conversation can’t be political.

Talking about overdose begins with the truth that every death leaves behind a family. This grief hits families in Colorado Springs more than we might expect.

I know. I lost a sibling to fentanyl overdose in April. His name was Anthony “Fez” Suggs.

The most recent finalized local data gives us both hope and warning. With 163 deaths in 2024, accidental drug overdose deaths declined by 26%, and officials stated that fentanyl deaths declined by 44%. This was the latest statistic available.

That is real progress, and it should be acknowledged. It

Even though there has been improvement, local families, schools, churches, workplaces and neighborhoods are still absorbing the shock of lives lost too soon. Many of us are only one or two relationships away from someone whose life has been changed by overdose.

That is why Colorado Springs should recognize International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31 . The day is a public day of remembrance for people who have died from overdose, plus a day of support for the families and friends left behind.

It is also a prevention day. It creates a reason to talk openly about counterfeit pills, fentanyl, naloxone, emergency response, treatment, recovery and the warning signs families should know before tragedy arrives.

Local community advocate Rachel Styles began an effort to raise awareness of Josiah Vigil’s story and International Overdose Awareness Day. She also requested a proclamation from City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County.

City Council has approved a proclamation. I hope that the County follows suit

On, that day local non-profits like Superior Connections and Full-Circle Recovery offer community education, sober living homes and peer recovery services. Others host vigils and rallies as well. As part of the effort businesses and public buildings like court houses, are asked to illuminate their front entry ways or towers in purple.

These actions will not solve the overdose crisis. Purple lights on a public building will not replace treatment beds, recovery programs, law enforcement, mental health support, school education or family intervention.

But lighting a building purple on Aug. 31 would say Colorado Springs cares about the families. It would say prevention is possible, and our community is willing to talk about it before another family is standing in a courtroom, trying to translate a child’s life into a number.

There is room here for both compassion and accountability.

We can support recovery without ignoring the danger of fentanyl and counterfeit pills. We can grieve those lost to overdose while also holding accountable the adults and networks that put deadly substances into the hands of young people.

This is not a partisan issue. Overdose does not care how someone votes.

Recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day would give our city a shared moment to remember and respond. Families could write the names of loved ones. Churches could pray.

Schools could share prevention information. Recovery groups can offer resources. Businesses and nonprofits could wear purple. Or citizens can attend a vigil or prayer.

And somewhere in that shared remembrance, Josiah M. Vigil’s name could be spoken.

Colorado Springs cannot give those days back to his family. But we can remember and maybe even prevent someone else from dying.

Rachel Stovall is a Colorado Springs event manager, entertainer and community advocate.