A group of bereaved families who lost their loved ones due to an overdose started a sign campaign in Edmonton to honor them and educate the public about what they call a toxic drug supply crisis.
Prior to the international overdose awareness day on August 31st, the group, mom, stopped the harm and gathered at the sign.
“It's important to put your face on the victim,” mom Angela Weltz said she'll stop the harm.
“These loved ones are not statistics. They were deeply loved by many people.”
Welz told Global News that a similar billboard campaign has been running for nine years and has grown over the years. Over 30 faces have been shown in this year's campaign.
“We continue to lose our loved ones regularly,” Weltz said.
This is the first time Karen Cuddue has seen her son's face on a sign: 42-year-old Stephen Klein passed away in March 2025 from an overdose.
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According to Alberta's substance use monitoring system, he was one of 82 people in Edmonton who died of drug addiction that month in the city.
“Before Stephen passed away, I had no idea what was going on there,” Cuddy said.
“Steven was a great man, a great brother, a friend, very intelligent. Sadly, he fought the battle of addiction.”
Cuddy thinks she will be proud that her son has told her story and shared her story. She believes the state needs to focus on more harm mitigation strategies, including supervised consumption sites and drug testing.
“If, for example, Stephen had been testing his drug tests briefly, I think it showed that it was carfentanil, and I think he's alive today,” Weltz said.
In a statement to Global News, the state expressed its deepest sympathy for those who lost their loved ones to an overdose.
“We know there's still a lot to do, but compared to 2023, we see signs that a recovery-oriented care system is working in 2024, which is down about 36% in 2024.”
In February 2025, Alberta Prime Minister Daniel Smith announced the government's plan to spend $180 million over three years to build two unwilling drug addiction treatment centres.
Smith said the treatment centers will be located in Edmonton and Calgary, with 150 safe beds each.
Mom stops harm, other organizations are opposed to the plan and are concerned about the impact of forcing someone.
“I think the community needs to stand behind the reduction of harm,” Weltz said. “People use substances everywhere in this city, so harm reduction sites are important not only in all communities but also in the core downtown.”
“I think if there were more harm reduction strategies in place, today (Steven) could be alive,” added Cadiw. “We can't stab our heads into the sand, this is a crisis that's happening and I'm just getting worse.
“If you're dead you can't recover.”
International Overdose Awareness Day is the world's largest annual campaign that will end the deaths of overdose and drug addiction and remember those who died.
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