Town Hall Meeting to Address Opioid Crisis Tuesday Night

More than 100 Mississippians died from opioid abuse last year.

A panel of experts from around Mississippi will address the problem of opioid abuse in a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, at the Oxford Conference Center.

The panel discussion will feature representatives from several state agencies, including the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS), along with the FBI and the DEA.

Southern states, including Mississippi, lead the nation in prescriptions per person for opioid painkillers. One in 10 Mississippians misuse prescription drugs, according to the DMH, and 108 Mississippians died from opioid abuse last year, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has reported. “Opioids have a tremendous impact in all of our communities,” Diana Mikula, executive director of the DMH, said in a statement. “Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It occurs in families from all walks of life.”

The DMH has been sponsoring town hall meetings in cities around the state, including Brandon, Hattiesburg, Diamondhead and Tupelo. “The partnerships we have are essential in helping us educate communities about the impact addiction is having on our state,” Mikula said. “By working together through these town hall meetings, our goal is to reduce the death and destruction caused by opioid addiction.”

Rick Hynum is the editor-in-chief of HottyToddy.com.
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