The City of Longview Partners in Prevention’s Coalition for Drug-Free Youth (CDFY) is partnering with local medical professionals to respond to the current opioid misuse rate in Gregg County by offering free education to the community. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Residents will join CDFY at its July 25 meeting to share information on several topics including the effects of opioids and other substances in Gregg County.
“There are many unanswered questions about the misuse of opioids in our community, and through this event, our citizens can be educated and equipped with answers,” CDFY Coordinator Whitney Pierce said.
The event will take place on July 25, 2019, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Longview Public Library at 222 W. Cotton St.
Other topics discussed at the meeting will include current prescribing rates with prescription drugs, opioid overdose signs, benefits of the medication and only antidote - Naloxone, documentation of opioid overdoses in emergency rooms, and the prevalence of the use of all substances (marijuana/synthetic drugs, prescription drugs/opioids, alcohol and inhalants).
“Recognizing that Gregg County is part of the Health and Human Services in Region 4, where the rates are higher than the state of Texas with current, school-year and lifetime use of prescription drug misuse, confirms this subject is particularly important to address,” Pierce said.
The Coalition for Drug-Free Youth’s mission is to reduce youth drug misuse through community collaboration and mobilization, creating a drug-free and healthier community. Citizens will have the opportunity to ask questions at the conclusion of the presentation.