[Archived] City of Alexandria Invites Public to Opioid Community Action Planning Meeting

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2018

Area leaders and community members in Alexandria will gather on Monday, April 9, to address the ongoing opioid crisis at an Opioid Community Action Plan Meeting.  The event will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m., in the cafeteria of T.C. Williams High School (3330 King St.). This strategic planning session will address the local impact of the national opioid crisis, which affects all ages, cultural backgrounds, income levels and neighborhoods in Alexandria.

Incidences of opioid addiction, overdoses and deaths have risen dramatically across the nation to levels on par with the peak of the AIDS epidemic. The consequences of opioid misuse and addiction are affecting not only those who are addicted, but also their families, local schools and neighborhoods.

The Community Action Planning Meeting is coordinated by the Opioid Work Group, comprising representatives from a range of City programs and partners, including social services, law enforcement agencies, schools, health providers and a local coalition. The Work Group takes a multidimensional approach to confronting the crisis by focusing on opioid addiction prevention and treatment, overdose response and recovery, diversion of addicted persons into treatment, and supply reduction and law enforcement strategies.

Individuals interested in attending should RSVP online by April 6. To RSVP, or for more information about the event and the City’s response to the opioid crisis, visit alexandriava.gov/Opioids.

For media inquiries, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3965.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, email maurice.tomdio@alexandriava.gov or call 571.384.5244, Virginia Relay 711.