People in Orange County observed International Overdose Awareness Day at an event on Tuesday.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, many battled and continue to fight a different illness - substance use disorder.

Family Cornerstone led an observance of the day with other community partners.

A lifesaving training was held as part of the event.

The event was also an opportunity for some to remember those they lost, as the county sees more residents dying from drug overdoses.

Stephanie Tedeschi, of the Hudson Valley Community Services, Ulster Outreach Program, has trained hundreds of Hudson Valley residents the last few months about how and when to use Narcan.

A small bottle of it often makes the difference between life and death.

"It really is amazing how that five minutes can make a difference in somebodies life," she says.

Tedeschi says the importance to equip everyone with lifesaving knowledge is personal.

"I witnessed the opioid overdose crisis so deeply within my own community. I lost a good number of friends," she says.