United States Attorney Announces Release Of “A Call To Action” A Report And Recommendations Concerning The Heroin And Opioid Epidemic In Metro Louisville

Report draws from the Heroin and Opioid Response Summit held December 1, 2016

Recommendations include requiring an intensified commitment in the areas of treatment, prevention and law enforcement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. today announced the state-wide release of A Call to Action: Report and Recommendations from the Louisville Heroin and Opioid Response Summit.

The nearly 40 page report summarizes information shared during the December 1, 2016, Summit held at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The one-day event, hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky in conjunction with the DEA/360 Strategy Program and the University of Louisville School of Medicine, was attended by more than 300 professionals working to combat heroin and opioid abuse, which is one of the most urgent and destructive threats to Metro Louisville’s health and safety. The Summit sought to enhance collaboration across public safety and public health domains and across the private and public sectors to improve the community’s response to the crisis.

The report includes detailed information about the heroin and opioid problem in Louisville, the responses of various agencies and professionals developed during panel-led discussions, and the evidence-based solutions presented by speakers and other sources.

“A Call to Action urges intensified efforts in the areas of treatment, prevention, and law enforcement,” stated United States Attorney John Kuhn. “We must improve access to treatment, broaden our support of people in recovery, intensify our drug-use prevention efforts with young people, and build a comprehensive data-sharing system from partnerships between public health and public safety.”

Recommendations include:

• Addiction treatment should be available for all persons seeking treatment.

• Prevention programs built upon evidence-based principles should be offered in all schools.

• Education outreach to the general public concerning opioid risks, addiction, and treatment should be expanded.

• Law enforcement should improve and intensify efforts to eliminate the supply of heroin, fentanyl, opioid analogues and diverted pharmaceuticals.

• All sectors working on and affected by the heroin and opioid problem should collaborate to share data and information even if not mandated to do so.

• Kentucky should establish a comprehensive, centralized drug data collection, analysis and sharing system.

• Recovery support programs and systems should be developed in schools and throughout the community.

U. S. Attorney Kuhn concluded, “Only two things can defeat us in our battle against this epidemic: a lack of commitment and a failure to collaborate. A serious and sustained commitment to resolve this crisis will bring us the resources we need, and our collaboration will broaden our impact immeasurably. Together, we can build a healthier community and bring this destructive chapter to an end.”