According to the Virginia
Department of Health, in 2016, - the four counties in the Diocese of Arlington with the
highest number of opioid overdose deaths are Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Spotsylvania.
For Immediate Release
September 12, 2018
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On Saturday, September 29th,
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington (CCDA) and Most Reverend Michael
F. Burbidge will host a free daylong conference, “Seeking Hope and Healing in
the Opioid Crisis,” to explore ways in which the community and the diocese can
respond to the opioid crisis. Dr. Michael Horne, a psychologist with CCDA, will
give the keynote address; Bishop Burbidge will lead a prayer service.
When: Saturday,
September 29, 10am
– 3pm (Mass will be held at 9am)
Where: Good
Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710
Mount Vernon Hwy, Alexandria
FACTS:
The Diocese of Arlington covers
21 counties and seven cities in Northern Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of
Health (VDH), the opioid crisis has
severely impacted parishioners and neighbors within the Diocese of Arlington where
opioid overdose deaths have increased almost three times in five years, from
141 deaths in 2011 to 387 in 2016:
YEAR NUMBER OF OVERDOSE DEATHS
2011 141
2012 138
2013 195
2014 251
2015 226
2016 387
In 2016, the four counties in the diocese
with the highest number of opioid related overdose deaths are as follows:
COUNTY, NUMBER OF OVERDOSE DEATHS
Fairfax, 97
Prince William, 59
Loudoun, 31
Spotsylvania, 30
In
fact, Fairfax County had the highest
total number of deaths in the Commonwealth from 2007 to 2016 at 437 deaths.
Also,
according to the VDH, state opioid deaths have jumped almost 100
percent in five years, from 649 deaths in 2011 to 1,268 in 2016.
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About Catholic
Charities, Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Catholic Charities is the charitable arm of the Catholic
Church in the 21 counties and seven cities of the Diocese of Arlington under
the leadership of Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. Catholic
Charities serves the poor and vulnerable who live in the Diocese, whether
or not they are Catholic. Catholic Charities services include food for the
hungry, a free medical clinic, transformational housing for men and families,
individual and family counseling, emergency financial aid, immigration and
refugee services, job training and workforce development, prison ministry and
former prisoner re-entry program.