A march in Manhattan marks international overdose Awareness Day is hoping to draw attention to the surging problem of overdose deaths in the city and across the country. NY1's Rocco Vertuccio reports.

A mock funeral procession to mourn deaths that are real.

"I think about him every day and think about the treatment he was not able to get and how he was discriminated against for his substance use," said Alexis Pleus, whose son died of a heroin overdose.

On this Overdose Awareness Day, advocates and people who have lost loved ones to an overdose, marched from Chelsea to the city morgue. They remembered people like Asia Bentancourt's twin brother. He died a few years ago from a heroin overdose.

"There are too many people dying from this epidemic there are too many people who are not getting the services that are needed," Bentancourt said.

That is what the city calls it, an epidemic, with deaths increasing for six consecutive years.

There were 1,374 drug overdose deaths last year, a jump of 46 percent compared to the previous year.

The huge jump, the result of the potent opioid fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin. Drug dealers are mixing it into heroin and cocaine.

"Across the state we have people who are injecting heroin today because they can't get access to Methadone they're on waiting lists," said Jeremy Saunders with the activist group Vocal NY.

That is why these advocates and family members say the city and state must spend more on overdose prevention services and shift from a law enforcement to a public health approach in addressing addiction. Some elected leaders say they get the message.

"We need more money we need more resources we need a better and bigger commitment from the state and the city to save people's lives," said Bronx Senator Gustavo Rivera.

Many of these families say their loved ones would still be alive had they received treatment instead of jail time.

"The system is very broken he could get into jail faster and easier than treatment," said Lexis Pleus.

In response, the city points to its new HealingNYC initiative. The goal is to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 35 percent over five years. It includes distributing more Naloxone a drug used to treat overdoses in an emergency.