Law enforcement officials are cracking down on a growing opioid and heroin epidemic in the state of Mississippi.
Recently the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director John Dowdy announced the 2017 Opioid and Heroin Drug Summit.
Multiple government agencies and non-profit organizations have joined forces to host the event scheduled for July 11-13 at Broadmoor Baptist Church on Highland Colony Parkway in Madison. They have extended the invitation to parents, educators, policy makers, leaders, stakeholders, journalists, physicians, pharmacists, counselors, law enforcement officers, and members of the clergy.
“From 2013 to 2016, Mississippi had 563 reported drug-overdose deaths, with 481 of them involving opioids. In 2016 alone, there were 211 reported drug-overdose deaths, the highest in Mississippi’s history,” said MBN Director Dowdy. “The numbers are likely much higher due to severe under-reporting by the state’s coroners,” he added.
The summit will consist of three days of education individuals on how to combat the opioid and heroin epidemic. Those individuals include Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, Dr. Marv Seppala, Chief Medical Officer, Hazledon Betty Ford Foundation; and Dr. Keith Berge of the Mayo Clinic.
“We need a comprehensive plan to address opioid and heroin addiction. This drug summit is an opportunity for all stakeholders to have input in its development,” General Hood said.
