Newswise — (Washington, DC) – On Wednesday, August 28th, top Administration officials, including Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Kana Enomoto, Principal Deputy Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will host a pen and pad media briefing to discuss current overdose trends in the United States and release a new opioid toolkit aimed at reducing the number of deaths resulting from opioid overdose by education for clinicians, patients, communities, first responders, overdose survivors, and family members. The briefing will take place ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, a day observed each August 31st to recognize victims of overdose.
In April, the Obama Administration released a science-based drug policy that addresses the national drug challenge as a public health issue, not just a criminal justice issue. The 2013 National Drug Control Strategy is built upon the latest scientific research demonstrating that addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that can be successfully prevented and treated, and from which one can recover. The Strategy directs Federal agencies to expand community-based efforts to prevent drug use before it begins, empower healthcare workers to intervene early at the first signs of a substance use disorder, expand access to treatment for those who need it, and support the millions of Americans in recovery.
Who: Gil Kerlikowske, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Michael Botticelli, Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Kana Enomoto, Principal Deputy Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Lt. Detective, Patrick Glynn, Quincy, MA Police Department What: On-the-record media briefing to announce new Overdose Prevention Toolkit and statistic on overdose trends in the United States
When: Wednesday, August 28, 10:00 am ET Where: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy 750 17th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20503
RSVP: News media attending the event must RSVP to [email protected]
Call in: News media unable to attend may access the media briefing via telephone. Please RSVP to receive call in number.
For more information about the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visit: www.WhiteHouse.gov/ONDCP
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
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