Informed Families President & CEO Peggy Sapp was invited to participate in a round table discussion about the opioid epidemic on Saturday, April 20. Organized by Congresswoman Donna Shalala, the panel was moderated by Rodrigo Lozano, LCSW, from the National Association of Social Workers and included John W. Newcomer, M.D., president and CEO of South Florida Behavioral Health Network in Miami, FL, Judge Victoria Sigler and Howard Rosen, Esq., head of narcotics in the State Attorney’s Office.
In Florida, there were 1,272 deaths involving prescription opioids in 2017, an increase from 889 in 2014 (NIDA, 2019). The discussion focused on the impact of opioid abuse in Miami-Dade and treatment and policy initiatives to address the issue. The panelists agreed that prevention education remains an important tool in dealing with opioid addiction, especially among youth.
“We can’t solve the drug problem overnight, but we need to engage with others about it,” Sapp said. “Informed Families prevention messages are simple, direct and easy to follow.”
In addition to securing and taking regular inventory of my medication and safely disposing of unused/expired medication, Sapp encourages others to spread prevention awareness by:
- Posting Lock Your Meds flyers in you work place
- Asking your employer to include information about Lock Your Meds on your company intranet, employee newsletter or pay stub
- Sharing information about Lock Your Meds on your social media pages
- Becoming an Informed Families Ambassador
Contact Informed Families for the tools and resources needed to begin educating your larger community about drug prevention.
