Equipping Communities Amid Resource Constraints: Washington Poison Center's 6th Annual Overdose Awareness Series Begins in August

SEATTLE, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Poison Center (WAPC) invites community members, community health and social service providers, and healthcare professionals to attend its free 6th annual Overdose Awareness Series, taking place virtually every Tuesday in August: August 5, 12, 19, and 26.

As overdose trends continue to evolve across Washington State and the nation, this year's series will focus especially on strategies for addressing overdose prevention, harm reduction, and response when resources are limited. The series will also explore evidence-based approaches, highlight emerging and ongoing trends, examine concerns and successes within priority communities, and discuss the current policy landscape surrounding overdose-related issues.

"The realities of overdose in Washington continue to shift, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl remaining key drivers of mortality and harm," said Dr. Scott Phillips, CEO of WAPC. "At the same time, we recognize that communities across the state are facing unprecedented resource constraints. This year's series is designed to equip providers, community organizations, and individuals with practical, evidence-based strategies that can be implemented even when resources are stretched thin."

Each session will feature speakers from WAPC's medical and public health staff, along with experts from other U.S. poison control centers, the Washington State Department of Health, the Washington State Health Care Authority, University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Children's Hospital, local health jurisdictions, and frontline harm reduction organizations.

Participants will leave with actionable tools and knowledge to help reduce overdose risk and support individuals in their communities, whether working in clinical care, public health, education, or community-based settings.

To maintain this series as a free resource for all participants, WAPC is grateful to the following sponsors and partners for their support: We Work for Health Coalition of Washington State, Washington Health Care Authority Friends for Life Campaign, Washington Department of Health Teen Health Hub WA, and Washington Department of Health Drug User Health Program.

View the agenda and register for the series.

Media contact: mryuk@wapc.org

About Washington Poison Center: Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and reducing harm from poisonings and overdoses. WAPC's expert staff of nurses, pharmacists, and physicians are a reliable and consistent resource for timely, relevant, and life-saving information, 24/7, at no cost to everyone in Washington State.

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SOURCE Washington Poison Center