Bermuda's drug treatment organisations will celebrate National Recovery Month in September.

Planned are events and activities highlighting methods of drug treatment and ways to combat the stigma associated with it.

There will also be learning opportunities for those working in the field and a concert in the park and family fun days for the general public.

The events will be organised by organisations including FOCUS, Turning Point, Harbour Light and the Department for National Drug Control (DNDC).

The month will end with a dinner where the 'Counsellor of the Year Award' will be presented by the DNDC and the Bermuda Addiction Certification Board. Three Bermuda pioneers in the field of addiction treatment will be honoured.

"Educating the public, recognising achievements in recovery and ensuring that treatment services are available to those who need them are key areas of focus for us," said a DNDC spokesperson.

"Minister [Neletha] Butterfield believes that by raising the awareness that substance disorders are a serious public health problem and that they can be treated just as any other chronic disease, the community will be more open to providing a supportive environment for individuals in recovery who are striving to be productive citizens."

National Recovery Month began as an initiative of the Substance Abuse Mental Services Administration, along with the Centre for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Department of Health Services in the US. The theme for this year is 'Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal'.

Added Shavana Wilson of the DNDC: "We realise that we have to put emphasis on treatment. People are succeeding in treatment. Sometimes people feel like there is no hope. Events like this are good for people in the middle of recovery who might be having difficulty reaching that next step."