“At the end of March, over 1,900 people convened in Atlanta, Georgia, at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, with attendees including advocates, clinicians, treatment providers, law enforcement officers and government officials. The summit, now in its fifth year, reported record attendance and stated this was the first time heroin was included in the conversation. With the increasing rates of opioid use and deaths, there was a new sense of urgency this year.
Opioids have killed over 500,000 people since 1999, which is more than World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined.”
Of the many discussions held at the summit, the primary takeaways in continuing the fight against opioid addiction include:
- Reduce Demand
- Clinician Education
- Holistic Approach
- Collaboration
See related press release: National Leaders Outline Strategies to Combat Drug Abuse Through Enforcement, Research, Prevention at National Rx Abuse & Heroin Summit available at:
http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/3-30-16-National-leaders-outline-strategies.pdf
Source: Forbes.com – April 12, 2016
