Rockville Goes Purple to Raise Awareness During National Recovery Month
August 28, 2025
In their ongoing effort to raise awareness about the national impact of opioid addiction and signal hope for recovery, Rockville’s Mayor and Council will proclaim September as National Recovery Month.
Rockville Goes Purple is the city’s campaign, organized in partnership with county and state agencies, to spotlight the opioid epidemic and its effect on the community.
Members of the Mayor and Council were expected to attend the 10th Annual Montgomery County International Overdose Awareness Day and Recovery Month Launch, on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Memorial Plaza in Rockville.
The event recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day, a global initiative to raise awareness of overdoses and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and serves as a prelude to the observance of National Recovery Month.
All month long, purple lights will illuminate City Hall, Rockville City Police Department headquarters, Taft Center and other city facilities. See a full list of facilities lit purple at rockvillemd.gov/rockvillegoespurple.
In conjunction with Rockville Goes Purple, the RCPD will collect leftover and expired prescription drugs, and hold a training on how to use the overdose drug Narcan, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at Thomas Farm Recreation Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive, as part of National Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Take Back Day.
Rockville’s Community Services Division and its community partners provide outreach, awareness and education throughout the year to support substance misuse prevention and early intervention with support from the city’s portion of the state’s Opioid Litigation Settlement Fund Abatement Plan.
The city will host a lunch and learn, noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, focused on substance use and prevention, featuring a speaker from Tree of Hope, a recovery focused organization. Lunch will be provided. A location for the event is yet to be determined.
A Mayor and Council proclamation states that: “The Rockville Goes Purple initiative is increasing awareness of the dangers of opioids and other substances, and strives to reduce the number of lives lost to drug addiction in our community.”
From July 2024 to June 2025, Maryland had 1,360 overdose deaths, of which 1,097 were opioid related. Montgomery County had 67 overdose deaths, 39 related to opioids.
Learn more about the Rockville Goes Purple campaign and upcoming events at rockvillemd.gov/rockvillegoespurple.