**Press Advisory for Opioid Webinar

Wednesday, August 31, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern** 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help city, town, and county officials address the opioid epidemic that is sweeping through the United States, ICMA, the International City/County Management Association will host a 90-minute webinar on Wednesday, August 31, 2016, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET.

Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, with 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this crisis, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014, the CDC says. The ICMA webinar will focus on how local government leaders can address this growing public health crisis.

What:   90-minute webinar, “The Opioid Epidemic: How Small and Large Communities Can Make an Impact,”

Who:   

• Incoming ICMA President Lee Feldman, city manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (facilitator)
• Marty Harding, director of training and consultation at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation (facilitator). See Ms. Harding’s backgrounder, The High Cost of Opioid Abuse in Your Community, prepared specifically to complement the ICMA webinar.
• Edward Augustus, city manager, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Dr. Marie Peoples, chief health officer, Coconino County Public Health Services District, Flagstaff, Arizona.

When:  Wednesday, August 31, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET.

Topics:  This webinar will provide timely information on a range of related topics, including how communities can

• Create coalitions to work together across sectors,
• Develop ordinances and places for safe drug disposal,
• Establish drug diversion task forces,
• Train first responders in the use of naloxone (Narcan) for reducing opioid overdoses,
• Use drug courts to fight opioid addiction and trafficking,
• Create referral programs through law enforcement agencies,
• Disseminate information about state laws that encourage intervention,
• Build awareness about your state’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), and
• Host community mobilization events to put tools into the hands of every community sector.                           

How:  The registration fee for “The Opioid Epidemic: How Small and Large Communities Can Make an Impact” is $149 for ICMA members and $249 for nonmembers for online or streaming access.

Media representatives may register at no cost by emailing Rick Aronhalt at raronhalt@icma.org by or before August 30 at 5 pm ET.

Members of the media should also mark their calendars for a special telephonic press event on the opioid crisis featuring key local government and NGO leaders and experts scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 27, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. CT, in conjunction with the ICMA 102nd Annual Conference in Kansas City.

An advisory containing details, including instructions on how to participate in the telephonic event, will be issued in mid-to-late September. Email Michele Frisby at mfrisby@icma.org by or before September 21 to receive a copy of the advisory.

About ICMA
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. Our mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build livable communities that improve people’s lives. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to more than 10,500 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.