Royal Palms celebrated National Black Balloon Day on March 6th to commemorate those who have passed away due to the disease of addiction.
In remembrance of those who have fallen, the staff made this somber day into a day of self-reflection, to remember those friends and loved ones we have lost. The residents filled out note cards and expressed their feelings for their loved ones.
After we all gathered and shared some words, balloons were released. The event was very therapeutic to every individual resident that participated. Royal Palms staff had a short clip about how everyone else around the nation was commemorating the day. This was a beautiful thing to experience, our residents had a breakthrough and contributed to their own recovery.
Black Balloon Day began in 2015 by Diane and Lauren Hurley who were mourning the loss of their family member, Greg Tremblay, who died of an overdose at 38 years old on March 6, 2015.
Substance use disorder affects many millions of people, and sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason behind who survives and who doesn’t. In setting out a black balloon or finding another way to honor the day, all of us can do our part to share with others the true dangers of substance misuse—and potentially save a life in the process.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 92,000 Americans died from substance overdoses in 2020—a 26% increase from the year prior.
A significant portion of these substance use deaths was attributed to synthetic opioids, and primarily fentanyl. Methamphetamine, cocaine, prescription opioids, heroin, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants also caused deaths, though to a much lesser degree.
