Life isn’t easy in this modern age. More often than not, it seems to be painted as disastrously bleak, with headlines detailing another overdose or suicide plastered across our newpapers, our televisions, and our smartphone screens. It’s not overinflation or dramatization- it’s a very real issue. Just this past August, the White House released a plan of action to combat heroin usage and trafficking after months of warnings issued by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention about the heroin explosion in the U.S. Heroin abuse has skyrocketed- with the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increasing 286% between 2002 and 2013. And that’s just heroin. That’s just in the U.S. alone.
But drug abuse isn’t the only thing that’s plaguing the youths of the world. Suicide rates overall have climbed another 2.4%- the highest in 25 years- resulting in a new average of 12.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 Americans. And those figured don’t even include the failed suicide attempts.
So, what can we do to help combat this issue?
While I would love nothing more than to stress the very real need to overhaul the inherently flawed mental health system within the United States, there’s also several grass-roots approaches to the issue- one of them being outreach via music. Specifically, how music not only creates lives, but how it saves lives.
And that’s where you- the listener and the concert-goer- come into play.
New Jersey residents have the opportunity to help combat these staggering rates of addiction, self-harm, suicide, and depression by attending the “Let’s Move Cities” benefit show tonight.
Let’s Move Cities is presented by the 501(c)3 non-profit organization If I Die Young. If I Die Young aims to create a transparent community dedicated to raising awareness of addiction, self-harm, suicide, and depression, as well as raising resources to fund treatment for teens and young adults with addiction. The event will feature performances by Something More (pop-punk from Bel Air, MD), In Theory (alt/punk from South Jersey- playing acoustic), Kevin Burke (pop-rock from Long Island- playing full-band), and Dreamers, Like Us (experimental alt-rock from Scranton, PA). There will also be guest-speakers and a fundraising raffle. With this event, If I Die Young is hoping to create an evening of hope, support, and community- to bring people together for more than a concert.
Go in support of your friends, your peers, and yourself. Help be part of the hope.
The Details:
December 13th, 2015 @ 6pm
The Foxhole Lounge
15 Locust Ave, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
$12 Advance/$15 at the door
About If I Die Young
If I Die Young Clothing is more than just shirts, it’s an organization devoted to helping teens in need. If I Die Young aims to challenge the taboo that our society has regarding talking about mental illness, depression, suicide, and addiction. We encourage everyone to live transparently- starting the conversation is the first step towards fighting the stigma.
If I Die Young funds young adults going through treatment for addiction, holds fundraisers for the families or teens who have passed away, supports and finds aid for teens struggling with self-injury, and raises awareness of mental illness, depression, suicide, and addiction in teens, and most importantly, gives teens the opportunity to positively effect the community by helping others, as well as themselves.
Ouch That Hertz! 