BRUNSWICK --- A February 2017 report from the National Center for Health Statistics stated that people dying from heroin overdoses nearly quadrupled tripled since 2010, and that one in four drug overdoses in 2015 was related to heroin.
By comparison, the report noted, only 6 percent of all overdoses were related to the drug in 1999.
"The long and short of it is that this is an epidemic and it's affecting all kinds of people in all kinds of ways," Father Bob Stec, pastor at St. Ambrose Church.
As an outgrowth of the parish's Greater Than Heroin outreach effort - which includes the www.greaterthanheroin.com website - a clearinghouse of community resources, advocacy and news related to heroin addiction - Stec has asked more than 300 religious leaders across speak about the issue to their congregations on April 23.
The Easter season, with its message of renewal, provides a perfect opportunity to speak on the growing epidemic of opioid addiction, Stec said. Moreover, the timing is also practical, with the hope of reaching as many of the faithful as possible prior to the busy summer months.
"We are asking all the faith leaders to talk about what this is, why it is important and what we can do about it," Stec said, stressing that silence is the greatest roadblock to solving the issue of opioid abuse.
"We have got to do something and we have to do it together," Stec said. "We're not talking about it enough and sometimes there is reluctance to; we don't want to offend. But we need to create an atmosphere where Mrs. Jones (is comfortable enough) to talk about it to her pastor or someone in the community."
Different approach, common message
While each of the participating congregations is addressing the issue in its own way, from messages in bulletins to homilies from the pulpit, the effort is one of solidarity among the faith community.
At Brunswick Church of the Nazarene, Rev. Donis Williams said that along with addressing the facts and statistics related to the opioid issue, a married couple that has faced both addiction and living with a loved one's addiction will give their testimony Sunday.
"My view may be different than some in the community," Williams said. "I hold out great hope in the power of Christ to heal."
Williams commended Stec for his efforts to rally both the secular and religious communities, adding that each must recognize the importance of the other.
"Everybody is trying to find a solution and think we'll find that we are all a piece of the puzzle," he said. "We can't keep sweeping it under the rug and from what Fr. Bob tells me, through his research, Brunswick is kind of behind other cities on this."
Message of hope
Williams said it is vital for the community at large to create places for those struggling to first conquer the addiction, then have the opportunity to change their entire lifestyle.
"The word that keeps coming to mind for me is love," he said. "I don't know what he motivation is - a high, pain in a person's life - that draws people into these addictions. But they need to know that there are people who care about them and love them and want to see them lead productive lives."
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