East Tennesseans who have lost loved ones to the drug overdose epidemic gathered Friday to remember them.
They held a candlelight vigil at St. James Episcopal Church on Broadway in North Knoxville as part of the annual International Drug Overdose Awareness Day.
One of the organizers who lost her nephew to a drug overdose says it's important for families impacted by drugs to remember their lost loved ones without embarrassment.
"We wanted to have a day for people to come, acknowledge the people they've lost, and celebrate their lives and be in a place where they feel like they can focus on the people rather than what happened to them," said Betsy Tant.
Organizers say every single month Knoxvillians die of drug overdoses or become permanently disabled as the result of a drug overdose.