COEUR d’ALENE — Amid the fentanyl crisis growing in communities across the country and in North Idaho, a support group aims to create space for those affected by drug overdoses. 

208 Recovery, a local nonprofit that provides free recovery support services to individuals and families affected by addiction, has launched the Overdose Support Group, intended to address a unique need in the community. 

“There is nothing for people who have lost loved ones to overdose,” said Tess Reasor, founder of 208 Recovery. “There’s no other support group tailored to that.” 

The group is open to anyone impacted by drug overdoses, including those who have lost a loved one, people who are in recovery and community members who want to better understand the fentanyl crisis and how to solve it. 

Overdose deaths are stigmatized, Reasor said. That stigma makes it challenging for surviving loved ones to find support. 

“It’s a lot different than when an individual is in hospice or someone has died by suicide,” she said. “It’s a different type of tragic death. To get people who have lost loved ones together to know they have a shared experience and they’re not alone and they can talk to one another and utilize each other for support is really empowering.” 

The Overdose Support Group meets at 5:30 p.m. every other Thursday in the Orange Conference Room at the Innovation Den, 418 E. Lakeside Ave. The next meeting is Jan. 30. 

The group offers participants a space to process their experiences, share their stories and find hope and healing alongside others who understand what they’re going through. 

In addition, the group will address topics including coping strategies, grief support, pathways to recovery and education on overdose prevention. 

In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, 264 people died in Idaho from opioid-related overdoses, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, 51% of which involved fentanyl. Statewide, there were 568 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in 2023, excluding deaths. 

Reasor said she hopes the Overdose Support Group helps to increase awareness in the community about addiction and overdose and reduces stigma. 

“These people are loved,” she said. “They’re part of our community. Their addiction doesn’t define who they are as individuals.”