WHEREAS, National Recovery Month is observed every September to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that National Recovery Month began in 1989 to help recognize and support new recovery practices, with studies to help make recovery safe and available to all; and
WHEREAS, According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, since 2020, 6,281 people have fatally overdosed in Philadelphia. While fatal overdoses in the City peaked in 2022 with 1,413 deaths, the numbers remained high through 2024 with 1,069 fatal incidents. In 2024, around 77 percent of deaths involved opioid use, another decreasing trend. However, despite these overall declining trends, from 2023 to 2024, there was an 8.6 percent increase in overdose deaths involving stimulants without opioids; and
WHEREAS, Around 44 percent, nearly half, of Philadelphians personally know someone struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), according to a study from Pew Research Institute. One in four of that same group of Philadelphians responded as knowing someone who fatally overdosed; and
WHEREAS, 47 percent of Philadelphians believe that the Opioid Crisis has negatively impacted their neighborhood quality of life, where those Philadelphians in the River Wards were the most highly impacted. Neighborhoods like Kensington, North Philadelphia, Glenwood, Fairhill, and others have been hit hardest by the opioid epidemic, marking a dramatic increase in overdoses over the past decade compared to other major metropolitan cities; and
WHEREAS, Despite the challenges that persist with regards to SUD and, more specifically, OUD, public sentiment seems to be shifting. In a 2025 poll from Pew, 51 percent of residents reported understanding OUD as medical condition and public health crisis, rather than something one brings upon themself, up from 39 percent in 2019; and
WHEREAS,
National Recovery Month serves as an opportunity to honor individuals in long-term recovery, their families, treatment providers, harm reduction workers, first responders, and recovery community organizations who work every day to support Philadelphians affected by SUD. We must recognize that recovery is possible, and that every person struggling with addiction deserves compassion, dignity, and access to care; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Recognizes September 2026 as National Recovery Month and honors the strength of those impacted by SUD and the ongoing struggle of addiction in our City.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities at a future session of Council as a symbol of the profound respect and admiration felt by this legislative body and the citizens of Philadelphia.
End