Local Opioid Crisis, and other harmful substance, Townhall will take place Thursday 4/28
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, April 27th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from the Union County Safe Communities Coalition) Local Law Enforcement and experts, and medical professionals- will join the public on April 28th, 2022 5:30 pm at the La Grande High School Auditorium to discuss growing concerns about opioids, fentanyl, mental health, and substance use disorder, a critical issue affecting kids and families in our county.
Hosted by the Union County Safe Communities Coalition, this CommunityTown Hall is an opportunity for the community to address the health and well-being of its citizens. Community members, experts, and county representatives will discuss opioids and other substances to engage the community in awareness.
A 2019 survey showed that 8th graders reported prescription drug abuse over several years from 1.9% to 4.0% to 8.4% – nearly twice as high as the 12th-grade national average. In 2021 the Union County 911 Dispatch Center received 45 calls known to be related to a drug overdose. In the first two months of 2022, 18 calls known to be related to drug overdose have already been received. This represents a 17% increase from the same two months last year and 40% of the total 2021 number… in the first two months. Chief Gary Bell reported that if this trend remains steady, Union County is on pace to receive over 100 calls related to drug overdose in 2022. That’s why it’s so crucial that we engage in a dialogue now, as a community, about how big the problem is.
The town hall will feature Deputy David Gomez, a Boise County School Resource Officer, and Dale McQueeney, a Substance Use Disorder Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with Lisa Whipple, a Substance Use Disorder Case Manager. This will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Billie-Jo Nickens about the crisis and how community members can stay informed. The panel includes
Gary Bell, Chief of Police, City of La Grande
Stephen McIlmoil, DO, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Grande Ronde Hospital
Daniel Conner, East Region Captain, Oregon State Police
Dale McQueeney, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Center for Human Development
Lisa Whipple, Qualified Mental Health Associate, and CADC-R, Center for Human Development
The event is free and open to the public. You can learn more about the town hall and RSVP at ucsafecommunitities.org or by calling the Coalition at 541-963-1068
