FAIRFIELD, Connecticut – Opioid misuse and addiction disorder is an urgent public health concern as the number of overdose deaths continue to rise. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, every day more than 130 people in the United State die after overdosing on opioids.
To help educate community members on the current state of the opioid epidemic and the ongoing actions being taken to combat the crisis, the Fairfield Health Department and Fairfield CARES Community Coalition invite all to attend a community opioid roundtable discussion.
The roundtable discussion will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd from 7:00pm – 8:30pm at the Fairfield Museum and History Center located at 370 Beach Road, Fairfield. The moderator for the event, is Fairfield CARES Co-Chair and State Representative, Cristin McCarthy Vahey. Discussion panelists include local and state elected officials, local officials from health and law enforcement, community stakeholders and providers, and the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, PhD.
Other Panelists Include:
- Senator Christopher Murphy’s Office
- Dita Bhargava - Shatterproof Ambassador
- Sands Cleary - Director of Health for the Fairfield Health Department
- Allison Kernan - Recovery Coach
- Jennifer Kolakowski - Recovery Network of Programs CEO
- Christopher Lyddy - Chief of Police for the Fairfield Police Department
- Giovanna Mozzo - Co-Program Director of The Hub CT
- Jonathan Steinberg - Public Health Co-Chair and State Representative
Education is key to help prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids. Properly disposing of expired or unused medications and speaking to your provider about alternative medications for pain management contribute to the fight against opioids. If you or a loved one is in need of help, please visit www.fairfieldct.org/opioids for a list of resources and more information.
For questions, please contact the Fairfield Health Department at 203-256-3150.