Substance abuse continues to rise in the United States with Michigan ranking 18th in the nation for overdose deaths. Because of this, the Municipal, Criminal, and Medical-Legal Committees of the Oakland County Bar Association presented a program titled “Substance Abuse in Our Cities and Suburbs: A Coordinated Response to Stop the Epidemic” on Thursday, May 4, at the Oakland County Commissioners Auditorium in Pontiac. The program featured a panel of national and local experts including (front row, left to right) Dr. David Neff, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Christine Lesser, BioMed Specialty Pharmacy; Christina Nicholas, administrator of Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Services, Oakland Community Health Network; and Police Chief Jerry Narsh, Village of Lake Orion; along with (back row, left to right) Oakland County 51st District Court Judge Richard D. Kuhn Jr.; Julie Brenner, executive director of the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities; and Dr. Ljubisa J. Dragovic, Oakland County chief forensic pathologist and medical examiner, who acted as moderator and presenter for the seminar. Topics of discussion included current and future trends in opioid abuse at local, state, and national levels; the mental and physical effects of addiction on children, families, and communities; and the role of drug courts and the criminal justice system in combating the problem. In addition, the panel reviewed alternative pain management protocols and how the medical field can assist in reducing addiction. This event was sponsored by BioMed Specialty Pharmacy; Lisa Anderson of Johnson, Rosati, Schultz, Joppich PC; Emily Thomas of Reiter & Walsh PC; and the Law Office of J. Randall Secontine PLLC.
– Photo by John Meiu
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
