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Here’s why Alexandria City Hall and Market Square will be illuminated by purple lights this weekend

By James Cullum
City Hall at Market Square is being lit purple at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s City Hall and Market Square (301 King Street) will be illuminated by purple lights this weekend in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.

The lights will go on from Saturday, Aug. 29, until Sunday morning, Sept. 1, and the city says that the information on local overdoses and their impact on the Alexandria community will be displayed in the light show.

Alexandria has been contending with a spike in opioid overdoses for several years, and distributes Narcan nasal spray, which reverses the effects, to schools, first responders and the public. Earlier this year, a number of Alexandria City High School students experienced non-fatal overdoses in school.

According to the city:

City Hall and Market Square (301 King St.) will be illuminated in purple to represent overdose awareness the evening of August 29 through the morning of September 1.

Across the USA, nearly 108,000 Americans lost their lives to overdose in 2023, the third consecutive year of more than 100,000 overdose deaths. Overdoses are primarily driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine in unregulated drugs, powders and pills. Fentanyl is often pressed into pills and combined with other substances without the user’s knowledge. Consuming even a small amount can lead to an overdose.

Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses, is available by calling the Alexandria Health Department at 703.746.4888 and can be obtained without a prescription at most pharmacies. All residents are encouraged to obtain Narcan as a first aid measure for any incidents they may unexpectedly encounter.

Residents are also asked to properly dispose of unwanted medicines at permanent drug drop boxes across the City of Alexandria to avoid misuse.

The City’s Department of Community and Human Services can help locate treatment options in Alexandria for anyone dealing with substance use and is available 24 hours a day at 703.746.3636 (Virginia Relay 711). To get help with stopping the use of heroin or other opioids, call the Opioid Treatment Program intake line at 703.746.3610.

To provide information regarding past overdoses or illegal drug activity, please call the Alexandria Police Department at 703.746.6277.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.