I lost my son, Mark, to a preventable overdose. There will be an empty chair at my table.

mothers will mourn on Mother's Day

While families across the country celebrate Mother’s Day, far too many of us will have an empty chair at our table.

I lost my son, Mark, to a preventable overdose. For over 100 years this country has attempted to eliminate illicit drug use by arrests and imprisonment. And for over 100 years this punitive policy has failed. This failure is evidenced by over 110,000 lives lost to overdose in 2023.

We, as a society, should support, not punish, those living with a substance use disorder. They are our sons and daughters and their lives have meaning. They are loved and they deserve our help, not our condemnation.

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Harm reduction provides the means for those like my son to remain healthy and alive. These programs include the provision of naloxone to reverse overdoses, fentanyl test strips, syringe service programs, Overdose Prevention Centers, and access to the medications methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

My Mother’s Day wish is that no other mother experiences the devastating pain and grief of losing a child to a preventable overdose. The rejection of punitive drug policies and the adoption of Harm Reduction services will help this wish come true.

Laura Cash, Columbus