Black Balloon Display Will Honor Victims Of Opiate Overdose

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Black balloons will float outside a Buffalo office building to remember people who have overdosed on opiates.

Erie County officials have declared Monday Black Balloon Day in the western New York county, taking part in a nationwide commemoration that originated in Peabody, Massachusetts. The idea is to make people aware of the widespread nature of addiction to heroin and similar drugs.

Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein will speak at a Black Balloon Day commemoration on the steps of Old Erie County Hall in Buffalo on Monday. Members of an opiate task force and the West Side Youth Development Coalition will take part in the tribute to victims, which starts at 6 p.m.