Earlier this year, several of the Mitchell Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force members were able to attend the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit. The Task Force is very grateful to the funding made available by the Strategic Planning Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF-Rx) grant to open opportunities for Task Force members to receive this level of training. A few highlights from that summit included:
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An address from the President of the United States about the prescription and illicit drug epidemic
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Strategies to address the drug epidemic were shared by top officials from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
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Information on the rise of counterfeit pills and fentanyl
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Strategies to drive engagement in recovery including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and abstinence based treatment
John Masters of the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Department reported, “I enjoyed the information that was directed to law enforcement. There are some things I learned that I am using in my work currently, and other things that I am aware of as emerging trends to keep an eye out for in our community.”
The Task Force looks forward to future opportunities to send its members to training to keep our community informed about a variety of substances.
