August 28, 2026
A short film about Latino families affected by counterfeit prescription pills will close out National Recovery Month in Rockville, with a screening and panel discussion 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre.
“La Estrella” is rooted in the lived realities of families who have lost someone to pills made to look like legitimate medication. The film invites audiences into a conversation about grief, love and community healing, and will be screened in Spanish and English. Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, who chairs the Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council, will provide opening remarks. The city’s Department of Housing and Community Development will host.
The screening is part of Rockville Goes Purple, the city’s campaign with county and state partners to remember lives lost to overdose, celebrate recovery, reduce stigma and connect residents with prevention, treatment, recovery and harm-reduction resources. Montgomery County opened the observance Aug. 29 with an International Overdose Awareness Day remembrance event and Recovery Month launch in Rockville.
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The Mayor and Council are scheduled to proclaim September as National Recovery Month at their Monday, Sept. 14 meeting, and purple lights will illuminate City Hall, Rockville City Police Department headquarters, the Taft Center and other city facilities all month long. Find the full list of facilities at rockvillemd.gov/rockvillegoespurple.
DHCD will also host a nonprofit lunch and learn, noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Tree of Hope, 30 Courthouse Square, with the Maryland Office of Overdose Response and the Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Team. The session will be offered in person and virtually.
Additional information can be found at rockvillemd.gov/rockvillegoespurple.
The Rockville City Police Department will hold a hands-on community naloxone training, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the Lincoln Park Community Center, 357 Frederick Ave. Residents will learn to recognize the signs of an overdose and safely administer naloxone, a nasal spray sold under the brand name Narcan that reverses opioid overdoses.
Rockville provides outreach, awareness and education year-round 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.
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Statewide, the trend is improving. Maryland recorded 1,315 overdose deaths in 2025, a 26% decrease from the previous year and the lowest total in a decade, according to the Maryland Department of Health. From July 2025 through June 2026, the state reported 1,263 overdose deaths, 951 of them opioid-related. Montgomery County reported 82 overdose deaths during that period.
Those seeking help can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or reach Montgomery County’s 24/7 crisis center at 240-777-4000.
For accommodations or more information, contact Nik Sushka, DHCD’s collective impact manager, at nsushka@rockvillemd.gov. Learn more, connect to resources and register for events at rockvillemd.gov/rockvillegoespurple.
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