Camden County is turning purple on Thursday, Aug. 31 to mark overdose awareness day.
The Camden skyline, Camden County Courthouse/City Hall building, Governor James J. Florio Center for Public Service and Ben Franklin Bridge all will be lit purple.
“These buildings and the bridge will serve as a visual representation to raise awareness to opioid epidemic in order to save lives and reduce stigma,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr., liaison to the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force.
Camden County employees will also be encouraged to wear purple and meet for a moment of silence at 1:42 pm in Camden Roosevelt Plaza to bring attention to the 142 lives lost to overdose each day, according to the CDC.
The Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force was formed to address the national heroin and opioid epidemic on the community level. Members of the task force range from religious leaders and law enforcement to medical professionals and students. They all work to increase awareness of opioid and heroin abuse and to reduce the harm of these drugs.
You can find out more about the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force here.