If you think the opioid crisis isn’t impacting the DMV, think again. In DC, 800 opioid deaths in the past 4 years… thousands in Maryland and Virginia… making it the worst health crisis since AIDS.

Did you know that every day, more than 130 people in the United States die from overdosing on opioids? And the issue is happening right here in the DMV. In the District alone, more than 800 people have died in the past four years and the numbers are even higher in Maryland and Virginia. But what’s being done to address what’s now being called the biggest health crisis in the U.S. since the AIDS epidemic.

Join WHUR 96.3FM, the flagship station of the Howard University Radio Network, for a special town hall edition of the “Daily Drum” entitled “Opioids, The Crisis Within” Thursday, March 28th from 7pm to 8:30pm at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland.

Hear from state, federal and local elected officials; advocacy organizations; impacted individuals and families; clergy members; law enforcement; hospitals; EMS; treatment facilities; pharmaceuticals; and add your voice to the conversation. “Opioids, The Crisis Within” will be hosted by award-winning veteran broadcaster Harold Fisher.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.

This is an opportunity for residents in the DMV to speak directly with the stakeholders addressing this crisis and get the valuable resources available. “Opioids, The Crisis Within” is open to the public.

For additional information, contact Renee J. Nash – WHUR News and Public Affairs Director at rnash@whur.com or 202-806-3623.