(Oct. 18, 2017) — The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the San Antonio Express-News will jointly host a town hall meeting to discuss the nation’s opioid epidemic at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26 in the Buena Vista Street Building Theater (BVB 1.326) at the UTSA Downtown Campus. The event, The Opioid Crisis, is free and open to the public.
>>Watch a livestream of the town hall meeting on the San Antonio Express-News’ Facebook page.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illicit drug, heroin, and legal prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and others. While medically prescribed opioids can be helpful for pain, they are highly addictive and misuse can be deadly.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of U.S. deaths involving opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. Bexar County has been particularly hard hit by opioid deaths compared to other Texas cities.
During the forum, panelists will provide an overview of the crisis both nationally and regionally, discuss the role of professionals in the medical and recovery community, and consider possible policy remedies to combat this dangerous health trend.
Panelists include:
- Colleen Bridger, director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
- Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer of University Health System
- Timothy Grigsby, assistant professor of community health at UTSA
- Josh Green, peer counselor at Rise Recovery
Francine Romero, UTSA associate professor and associate dean of the College of Public Policy, will moderate.
The panel will address questions from members of the audience at the event. To submit a question, arrive early and fill out a Q&A card provided by the San Antonio Express-News.
Free event parking will be available in unmarked spaces of lot D-3, beneath IH-35.
Seating has reached full capacity. Watch online on the San Antonio Express-News’ Facebook page.
