Anti-marijuana legalization group hits Atlanta on “420 Day”
A group opposing the legalization of marijuana on Thursday warned Atlantans not to believe the hype that pot is made from a harmless plant and that its impact is minimal.
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ATLANTA — Former president Bill Clinton said the opioid epidemic "creeps into every nook and cranny of our country" and needs to be addressed as both a huge national problem and a community-by-community tragedy.
Otherwise, he said, "this can rob our country of the future."
Clinton spoke Wednesday at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, which drew more than 3,000 experts in fields such as addiction, law enforcement and medicine. He shared personal experiences as well as thoughts about strategies that work and the challenges ahead. Read more.
(CNN)The head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, believes that the nation's physicians should undergo mandatory training on pain management and the prescribing of opioid analgesics.
In an interview Wednesday with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Gottlieb said that because current physician education on opioids is not mandatory, too many doctors continue to treat patients based on outdated training. Read More.
ATLANTA — Kellyanne Conway defended the Trump administration’s response to the opioid crisis Wednesday at the nation’s largest public health meeting devoted to the epidemic.
Trump’s strategy, and particularly his calls to execute drug dealers and to make commercials to scare kids off drugs, has drawn criticism from experts. But at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Conway addressed an audience of doctors, public health experts, and government officials, touting the administration’s commitment to curbing drug overdoses, which resulted in more than 63,000 deaths in 2016. Read more.
ATLANTA — The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory Thursday urging more Americans to carry naloxone, which can reverse the opioid overdoses that kill a person every 12½ minutes in this country.
Dr. Jerome Adams said people at risk of an opioid overdose, as well as their family and friends, should keep the antidote on hand. Many police officers and emergency medical technicians already carry it.
This is the first surgeon general advisory in 13 years. The last, in 2005, dealt with alcohol use during pregnancy. Read more.
The Latest on U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams' recommendation that more people carry the overdose antidote naloxone (all times local):
10:20 a.m.
The nation's chief doctor says he is committed to increasing access to the opioid overdose antidote naloxone and bringing down the cost of the drug.
Speaking at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta on Thursday morning, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams called on more Americans to carry naloxone, which is available over the counter in most states.
Adams says 95 percent of all insured Americans are covered to purchase naloxone, which can cost around $80 for one dose. For those who are uninsured, he says the antidote is available at little or no cost through local public health programs. He also wants more federal funds dedicated to increasing naloxone access.
Adams says it has been 13 years since a surgeon general last issued a public health advisory. The last one focused on prenatal alcohol exposure. Read more.
(CNN)The US surgeon general issued an advisory Thursday recommending that more Americans carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug, naloxone.
The drug, sold under the brand name Narcan (among others), can very quickly restore normal breathing in someone suspected of overdosing on opioids, including heroin and prescription pain medications.
Dr. Jerome Adams emphasized that "knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life." To make his point, Adams relied on a rarely used tool: the surgeon general's advisory. The last such advisory was issued more than a decade ago and focused on drinking during pregnancy. Read more.
In a speech given yesterday at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that the agency would be inviting a number of internet company CEOs to a summit that will host discussions on potential solutions to the tech industry's role in the US opioid crisis, Gottlieb says that the FDA has found offers to purchase opioids and other drugs on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Google, Yahoo and Bing. He added that in a report from the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, investigators found that "'it was easy to find fentanyl advertised online,' pay for it using cryptocurrency or credit cards and have it shipped to anywhere in the United States through international mail." Read more.
Facebook and Twitter pushed to do more to halt online opioid sales
The top U.S. drug regulator wants social-media sites including Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. to do more to stop illegal online sales of opioids that are contributing to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is expected to say in a speech on Wednesday that social-media companies and internet-service providers need to be more proactive in rooting out sales pitches for addictive painkillers. He said that while the platforms are reluctant to police content the ads are “insidious threats.” Read more.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb wants social media companies and internet service providers to crack down on illegal sales of opioids on their platforms.
“I’m concerned that social media companies, internet service providers (ISP) firms that host websites, and others in the internet ecosystem haven’t been proactive enough in rooting out these illegal offers to distribute opioids from their respective platforms,” Gottlieb will say Wednesday evening at the annual National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, according to his prepared remarks.
“I think we can work with them to do much more to address this public health danger,” Gottlieb will add. Read more.
Former President Bill Clinton and Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, are scheduled to speak in Atlanta Wednesday at an annual summit on opioid and heroin abuse.
More than 2,900 people from 48 states and Washington, D.C., and six other countries are attending the seventh annual National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
The summit comes amid a nationwide opioid overdose epidemic that claimed the lives of 42,249 people in 2016. That same year, 1,394 Georgians died from drug overdoses. Read more.
President Clinton to Address Opioid Epidemic at Nation’s Largest Drug Abuse Summit
7th Annual National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Begins April 2 in Atlanta
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2018
CONTACT: Carla Blanton, 859-608-4850
ATLANTA – The National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit today announced that Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, will be a keynote speaker.
After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation, which has worked to help build more resilient communities by developing and implementing programs that improve people’s health, strengthen local economies and protect the environment.
President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation have been at the forefront of the fight against the opioid epidemic since 2012. The Clinton Health Matters Initiative works to save lives, alleviate suffering and reduce the stigma facing victims and families of opioid use disorder.
The Foundation provides training and resources to communities to fight addiction; brings partners together to discuss and implement solutions; and works to prevent overdose deaths by making the life-saving opioid-reversal drug, naloxone, more widely accessible and at a lower cost.
The 2018 National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit will be held April 2 through April 5 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta downtown. It is the largest collaboration of federal, state and local professionals seeking to address prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion.
More than 2,500 researchers, advocates, policy-makers and law enforcement officials participated last year.
After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation, which has worked to help build more resilient communities by developing and implementing programs that improve people’s health, strengthen local economies and protect the environment.
President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation have been at the forefront of the fight against the opioid epidemic since 2012. The Clinton Health Matters Initiative works to save lives, alleviate suffering and reduce the stigma facing victims and families of opioid use disorder.
The Foundation provides training and resources to communities to fight addiction; brings partners together to discuss and implement solutions; and works to prevent overdose deaths by making the life-saving opioid-reversal drug, naloxone, more widely accessible and at a lower cost.
The 2018 National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit will be held April 2 through April 5 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta downtown. It is the largest collaboration of federal, state and local professionals seeking to address prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion.
More than 2,500 researchers, advocates, policy-makers and law enforcement officials participated last year.
Media credentials
Media credentials are required to attend the summit. Contact Carla Blanton at carlablantonconsulting@gmail.com or 859-608-4850 for to request a credentials form or for additional information.
Additional information on the Rx Summit also can be found at http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org.
7th Annual National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Begins April 2 in Atlanta
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2018
CONTACT: Carla Blanton, 859-608-4850
ATLANTA – The National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit today announced that United States Surgeon General Dr. Jerome M. Adams will speak at the conference.It also announced other featured speakers for the Summit, which begins April 2 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
Adams, a board-certified anesthesiologist, served as Indiana state health commissioner from 2014 to 2017. As health commissioner, he presided over Indiana’s efforts to deal with the state’s unprecedented HIV outbreak. In this capacity, he worked directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as with state and local health officials and community leaders, and brought the widest range of resources, policies and care available to stem the epidemic affecting that community.
He will speak at the general session on Thursday, April 5, which begins at 8:15 a.m.
In addition to the Surgeon General, featured speakers will include: Read More.
October 10, 2017
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Doug Edwards, Director, Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare
216-373-1201 | dedwards@iabhc.com
NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, DC -- The Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare announces that the National Sheriffs’ Association will be a supporter of the upcoming National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, April 2-5, 2018.
The Institute, the leading events and education provider in the behavioral healthcare community, and the National Sheriffs’ Association, one of the largest associations of law enforcement professionals in the United States, will work together toward their common goal of reducing prescription and illicit drug overdoses by encouraging diverse stakeholders to use the Summit as a forum for continued discussion on this public health emergency.
The Summit is the largest national collaboration of professionals from local, state, and federal agencies, business, academia, treatment providers, law enforcement, and allied communities impacted by prescription drug misuse and heroin use. At the 2017 Summit nearly 2,500 attendees heard from a wide range of speakers, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. President Obama addressed the Summit in 2016. Read more.
Federation of State Physician Health Programs to Support 2018 National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit
September 5, 2017
Contact Information:
Doug Edwards, Director
Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare
216-373-1201; dedwards@iabhc.com
NEW YORK and WILMINGTON, MA -- The Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare announces that the Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP) will be a supporter of the upcoming National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, April 2-5, 2018.
The Institute, the leading events and education provider in the behavioral healthcare community, and FSPHP, which focuses on support to its member state physician health programs with their aim for successful rehabilitation and monitoring of physicians (and other healthcare professionals) with substance use disorders, as well as physical illness, will work together toward their common goal of reducing prescription and illicit drug overdoses by encouraging diverse stakeholders to use the Summit as a forum for continued discussion on this public health emergency. Read more.
July 5, 2017
Contact Information:
Erin Murphy
emurphy@iabhc.com
NEW YORK and ITASCA, IL -- The Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare announces that the National Safety Council will be a partner for the upcoming National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, April 2-5, 2018.
The Institute, the leading events and education provider in the behavioral healthcare community, and the National Safety Council, the national voice on eliminating preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road, will work together toward their common goal of reducing prescription and illicit drug overdoses by encouraging diverse stakeholders to use the Summit as a forum for continued discussion on this public health emergency. Read More.
Contact Information:
Erin Murphy
emurphy@iabhc.com
NEW YORK and ITASCA, IL -- The Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare announces that the National Safety Council will be a partner for the upcoming National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, April 2-5, 2018.
The Institute, the leading events and education provider in the behavioral healthcare community, and the National Safety Council, the national voice on eliminating preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road, will work together toward their common goal of reducing prescription and illicit drug overdoses by encouraging diverse stakeholders to use the Summit as a forum for continued discussion on this public health emergency. Read More.
Knoxville, Tennessee (CNN)The sound of a heartbeat pulsates through the air, and a grainy image of a baby flashes on screen. Jessica Hill smiles from her chair in the ultrasound room.
Gathered around are her doctor, nurse and best friend.
They are all eager, anxious, excited -- and worried about the health of the baby. In that way, this ultrasound is like most.
But what's happening in this room is anything but routine: Jessica, 28, is hooked on opioids and detoxing during pregnancy. Dr. Craig Towers is the pioneering -- and controversial -- obstetrician shattering the common medical belief that this approach could lead to the death of the fetus. Read More.
A federal health agency wants to speed up research on non-addictive painkillers to help stem the epidemic of drug abuse in the nation.
The National Institutes of Health plans to develop partnerships between public agencies and private businesses in hopes of cutting the time to develop treatments in half, Dr. Francis Collins said Wednesday at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, according to a news release from the organizer. Read More.
Kevin Sabet, co-founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana or SAM, said the growing marijuana industry is pitching weed as a natural, safer alternative to tobacco without the long-term health problems.
“You know what, poison ivy is a natural plant, but I wouldn’t suggest anybody mess with it,” Sabet said. “These arguments are ridiculous if you think about them for more than one or two seconds.” Read More.
Easing marijuana laws in Atlanta easier said than done
Atlanta wants to join a growing number of U.S. cities that are lowering the penalties for small amounts of marijuana use.But leaders learned last week that getting there won’t be easy.
The City Council sent legislation meant to lower fines and eliminate jail time for possession of an ounce or less of pot back to a committee last week after members had a host of questions. Chief among their concerns was whether there was buy-in from the Atlanta Police Department and city courts, two groups whose backing would be crucial to making such a plan work. Elected officials also fear that being too lenient would take away the deterrent of marijuana use. Read More.
America is making progress in the fight against its opioid and heroin overdose epidemic by working closely with Mexican and Chinese authorities, a top U.S. State Department official plans to announce at a summit in Atlanta this week.
Mexico is now the source of most of the heroin consumed in the U.S., William Brownfield, assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The former ambassador, who plans to speak Tuesday at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, added that more than half of the fentanyl that comes here passes through Mexico, though most of it probably originates in China. Read More.
HHS Secretary Tom Price is looking to make his own contributions to the policy fight against the opioid crisis, with a two-day blitz: on Wednesday, he gave a speech to the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in his old stomping grounds of Atlanta; then, Thursday, the department announced a series of grants flowing from 21st Century Cures funding. Read More.
A deadly issue that has plagued the Suncoast for months is getting national attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to launch a new ad campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid addiction.
CDC acting director Anne Schuchat discussed the problem at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit on Wednesday in Atlanta. She says this new campaign will try to get doctors and patients thinking about the problem and know the risks involved with opioids before there's a tragedy. Read More.
The federal government will provide $485 million in grants to fund evidence-based prevention and treatment initiatives to address the nation's opioid abuse crisis, HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, said this week.
The funds were contained in the 21st Century Cures Act, which was passed under the Obama administration in December 2016. The $485 million in grants will compliment funds slated to be made available this year under Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which was signed by Former President Barack Obama in July 2016. Read More.
ATLANTA — President Trump is determined to expand access to addiction treatment to help curb the opioid crisis, several of his top health advisers said on Wednesday.
But they offered few details on how they would fund those efforts at a time when the administration is also pushing for deep budget cuts to domestic programs and seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which extends mental health and addiction treatment to millions.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told advocates gathered here at a summit on drug abuse that his agency would boost access to opioid treatment, support “cutting-edge research” on new treatment, and push for better practices to help patients manage their pain, to cut down on prescriptions of powerful opioids. Read More
CNN) - While President Donald Trump insisted Congress repeal Obamacare within his first 100 days, the legislation was rushed, according to his Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price, and that's why the Republicans failed.
But the recent setback will not deter the Trump administration, he said during an interview at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Tuesday with CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Price runs a department with a budget of more than $1 trillion dollars and more than 80,000 employees who do work that he said touches on "the lives of every single American." Read More.
The federal government is giving states $500 million to combat the nation's opioid abuse epidemic.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price made the announcement Wednesday at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in downtown Atlanta, where thousands gathered. The funds will come from the 21st Century Cures Act, he said, which passed Congress last year and was signed by President Barack Obama. Read More.
50-year-olds are dying from overdoses of prescription painkillers, while heroin is claiming more people in their 20s.
ATLANTA — The sharp increase in US overdose deaths over the last half-decade has split into two distinct epidemics based on age and type of drug, researchers suggested here at a nationwide drug abuse summit on Tuesday.
Opioid drugs include both prescription painkillers (such as Vicodin or Oxycodone) and illegal heroin. They are involved in about 60% of all deadly overdoses in the US, or about 33,000 people in 2015 — a death toll projected to grow even worse. Read More.
Bipartisan-backed legislation that seeks to end the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States from foreign countries has drawn support from national law enforcement groups, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's office announced Tuesday.
The Massachusetts Democrat, who recently joined other senators in introducing legislation that would give U.S. Customs and Border Protection tools to help detect and intercept fentanyl and other illicit opioids, told National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit attendees Tuesday that the proposal has garnered support from sheriffs, police officers and border patrol agents. Read More.
Opioid summit: Babies born in Kentucky twice as likely to be born addicted
ATLANTA (WKYT) - Research shows a baby born in Kentucky is twice as likely to be born addicted to opioids than a typical American child. But doctors and researchers from the University of Kentucky are working hard to break the cycle, and they told a crowd at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta that they are making progress. Read More.
ATLANTA (WKYT) - A four-day summit addressing the drug abuse problem in the United States kicked off Monday in Atlanta.
Kentucky governor Matt Bevin delivered the keynote speech on the first night of the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit. Read More. | Watch the Videos.
Rogers, Bevin kick off National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit
ATLANTA, GA (WTVQ) – Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-5th) and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin issued challenges for attendees of the 6th annual National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit to be passionate, learn from one another, and share promising initiatives with others in their communities.. Read more.
UK researchers lead discussions at national summit on prescription drug abuse
ATLANTA, Ga. (WTVQ) – Addiction researchers, clinicians, intervention coordinators and health policy leaders representing the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare will lead workshops and discuss initiatives to combat the opioid crisis during the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit this week in Atlanta. Read More.
