The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy honored families who lost loved ones to drug overdoses and poisonings Monday as officials marked the end of Overdose and Drug Poisoning Awareness Week, according to an ONDCP press release that The Dallas Express received.
ONDCP said the ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building honored more than 1.3 million Americans who died from drug overdoses and poisonings during the past 25 years. The agency described the observance as the first national Drug Overdose and Poisoning Awareness Week.
The Dallas Express previously reported that provisional federal data show total U.S. drug overdose deaths fell nearly 14%, from 81,313 in 2024 to 69,973 in 2025. Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, a category driven primarily by illegally made fentanyl, fell 22% during the same period.
Families read names in remembrance
ONDCP Director Sara Carter presided over the event alongside officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. April Babcock of Lost Voices of Fentanyl, Lou-Riva Filler of the Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall and Theresa Almanza of Drug Induced Homicide also shared stories about loved ones they lost.
“While we cannot rectify the tragedies they have suffered, we can and must build a future in which families will not be torn apart by illegal drugs,” Carter said in the release.
The ceremony ended with participants reading aloud the names of loved ones lost to overdoses and poisonings before observing a moment of silence. ONDCP also posted the full event online.
White House highlights declining deaths
The White House issued a message on August 24 marking Overdose and Drug Poisoning Awareness Week and highlighting recent declines in drug deaths.
The national decline began before President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited several possible contributors, including wider naloxone distribution, increased treatment access, changes in the illegal drug supply, prevention efforts and partnerships between public health agencies and law enforcement.
ONDCP said the new week expands beyond International Overdose Awareness Day to recognize families who lost loved ones to fatal drug poisonings, including families of people who unknowingly consumed counterfeit pills containing deadly substances.
