It’s a deadly public health crisis. And it’s right here … in Oregon. Oregon leads the nation in the abuse of painkillers.
“Clearly, we have a tragic epidemic right here in our midst,” says Marvin D. Seppala, M.D., chief medical officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foudation.
According to a 2014 Oregon Health Authority report:
- Doctors prescribed opioids to more than 900,000 Oregonians – about one in four – in 2013.
- Oregon’s death rate from opioid overdose quadrupled from 2000 to 2012.
- The highest average death rates (2008-2012) occurred among working-age Oregonians, 45 to 54.
- Medical care due to overdose from all drugs cost Oregon hospitals an estimated $31million in 2012.
Why has opioid and heroin addiction skyrocketed to such heights in Oregon? Find out at “The Epidemic in Our Midst: Painkillers, Opioids and Heroin,” a free community conversation, Thursday, Oct. 2, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Oregon Health & Science University, Old Library Auditorium, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland.
Join experts from law enforcement, public health and addiction treatment for a frank and open discussion. Hear the stark facts about Oregon’s opioid and heroin crisis and learn effective strategies to overcome this growing epidemic. Experts include:
- Marvin D. Seppala, M.D., chief medical officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and the author of “When Painkillers Become Dangerous”;
- Andrew Mendenhall, M.D., medical director, Hazelden at Beaverton, and diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management;
- Kim Mauer, M.D., OHSU, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, who was a pain research fellow at Stanford University;
- Sean Riley, founder and president, Safe Call Now, a 24-hour crisis referral service; and
- Dwight Holton, J.D., chief medical officer, Lines for Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide.
In addition, Julie Edwards, mother of a son in recovery from opioid addiction, and president and co-founder of West Linn Community Task Force, a nonprofit focusing on drug-free youth, will share her powerful story.
