Opioid abuse and the challenges of dealing with it are the focus of a summit Sept. 12 at Sacramento State. (File photo)America’s opioid epidemic is taking its toll on young adults, and Sacramento State – with a student population of more than 30,000 – is stepping up to try to reverse the tragic trend.
The University, in partnership with industry and law enforcement agencies, is hosting the 2018 Sacramento County Opioid Awareness Summit on Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the University Ballroom. The theme is "Building Capacity Today -- Inspiring the Leaders of Tomorrow." The event is at capacity, and organizers are accepting no more registrations.
“Most of our students know someone, or have themselves been impacted, by opioids,” says Lara Falkenstein, health educator in Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS). “This is the age of prevention, and getting the word out about the impact that drugs can have on their life, career, and education is a component of their success beyond Sac State.”
Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin, synthetics such as fentanyl, and legally prescribed pain relievers including oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine. Thousands of people die each year from opioid-related drug overdoses.
The Opioid Summit, the largest event of its kind ever held at Sac State, will bring together dozens of healthcare professionals, experts in drug treatment and prevention, educators, and law enforcement leaders to address the nation’s opioid crisis.
“By working together, we hopefully can bring down the death rate,” says Janet Dumonchelle, pharmacist in charge at the SHCS pharmacy in The WELL. “It’s one thing to say we have a problem, but if you know that 116 people are dying each day, that brings an awareness that we need to collaborate and do what we can to work on the issue.”
Key participants and supporters of the summit include the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Sacramento County Opioid Coalition, Sacramento County government, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn, who was #MadeAtSacState, will open the summit, alongside Dr. Peter Beilenson, director of Sacramento County Department of Health Services, and Ed Mills, vice president for Student Affairs at Sacramento State.
Among the topics to be covered are a national overview of the opioid crisis, state and local trends, investing in solutions, overdoses and medical-assisted treatment induction in emergency rooms, and self-prescribing and complementary pain-management techniques.
Sacramento State officials will make public later this month the results of students’ participation in the Ohio State University 2018 College Prescription Drug Study. Slightly more than 800 Sacramento State students filled out the survey in April, answering such questions as, “How many times would you estimate that you have used pain medication for non-medical reasons?” and “How often do you use drugs or alcohol to manage your stress?”
Sac State was one of 26 schools nationwide, and one of three in California, that took part in the study. – Dixie Reid