State Attorney General Bob Ferguson will hold a two-day summit in June on the opioid epidemic, convening law enforcement, medical professionals, prosecutors and public health experts.
“Opioids are devastating Washington families and communities, and overwhelming our safety nets,” Ferguson said in a media release on Tuesday. “This summit will bring together key stakeholders to identify next steps and solutions to this epidemic.”
The summit, scheduled for June 15-16 at Kane Hall at the University of Washington in Seattle, is free and open to the public. Those interested should register online. The summit runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 15 and 8:30 a.m. to noon on June 16.
Speakers include Ferguson, State Patrol Chief John Batiste, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. Multiple sessions will share best practices from around the country, from drug monitoring to health care fraud field operations.
The Attorney General’s Office planned the summit in partnership with the State Patrol and the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. On Oct. 7, Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order requesting that the AGO, along with law enforcement and community partners, develop and recommend strategies to reduce the supply of illegal opioids in Washington state.
In 2015, 718 Washingtonians died from opioid overdose, more than from car accidents. The majority of drug overdose deaths — more than six out of 10 — involve an opioid.
The opioid epidemic has impacted Washington unlike any other state in the region. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington is the only Western state to see a statistically significant increase in drug overdose death rates between 2014 and 2015.
Nationwide, 1 in 4 people who receive prescription opioids for chronic pain in primary care settings struggle with addiction.
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