The Virtue Center and City of Norman Host Community Events Featuring National Bioethics Expert
The use and abuse of opioids in our nation, state, and local community have grown into a terrifying epidemic. Since 2000, overdose deaths in the United States have increased sixfold. Between 2018 and 2023, Oklahoma reported 4,812 unintentional overdose deaths. In Cleveland County alone, 171 unintentional overdose deaths occurred from 2018 to 2022—104 of which were opioid-related, including fentanyl.
In response, The Virtue Center, a proud partner agency of United Way of Norman, in
collaboration with the City of Norman, presents Healing Together: Hope Beyond Opioids—a
pair of free community events on Wednesday, June 12, featuring nationally recognized speaker
and author Travis Rieder, PhD.
Dr. Rieder is the author of In Pain: A Bioethicist’s Personal Struggle with Opioids, a critically
acclaimed book that combines his professional expertise in bioethics with his personal
experience as a patient navigating opioid therapy and withdrawal. His work has been featured in
The New York Times, Science, LA Review of Books, and on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
Two sessions will be held on June 12:
- Community Partners Session at Sarkeys Foundation
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Light lunch provided, RSVP at: https://bit.ly/healingtogetherluncheon - Community Conversation at Adult Wellness & Education Center
5:45 PM – 7:30 PM
Light dinner provided, RSVP at: https://bit.ly/healingtogetherwithTVC
Dr. Rieder will explore the complex and often contradictory nature of opioid use in America—
how society fluctuates between over-reliance and fear, and how opioids, like many drugs, can be both helpful and dangerous. He will also address the controversial topic of harm reduction, why it faces opposition, and how communities can move forward together with compassion and evidence-based practices.
“This is more than an event—it’s a call to come together, to learn, and to begin healing,” said Teresa Collado, Executive Director of The Virtue Center. “We invite all community members and stakeholders to attend and be part of the solution.”
About The Virtue Center:
The Virtue Center is a nonprofit agency serving Cleveland and surrounding counties with
behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment services. As a United Way of Norman
partner agency, The Virtue Center is dedicated to improving lives and strengthening
communities through compassionate care and prevention.
