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COMMUNITY UNITES FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE OPIOID CRISIS Santa Cruz County Community Prevention Partners & SafeRx Santa Cruz County Present: Safe Rx – Talk About It: Prescription Drug Community Solutions On October 1st Santa Cruz County Community Prevention Partners and SafeRx Santa Cruz County will host a community event to raise awareness about safe Rx practices and what every person in Santa Cruz County can do to make a positive difference in how the opioid epidemic impacts our community. In Santa Cruz County, enough opioids are prescribed for every man, woman, and child to medicate themselves around the clock for 6 weeks of each year, * and in 2015 Santa Cruz County was 9th out of 58 California counties in overdose deaths. What is less known is that Santa Cruz County has been proactive about changing these trends. Locally, two multiple sector coalitions, Community Prevention Partners and SafeRx are working together with doctors, pharmacists, and other community members to shift prescribing practices, provide alternatives for long-term pain management, increase locking of medications, and disposal of unused meds at drop offs sites around Santa Cruz County. We invite the community to learn about all the ways our partner organizations and community members are collaborating to prevent this crisis from spreading. You are invited to this family friendly event hosted by KION’s Spencer Washburn with a keynote by Dr. Bill Morris on “How to Talk to Your Doctor,” and a welcome by Supervisor Coonerty and Councilmember Watkins. The event features a 3-point shooting contest sponsored by the Santa Cruz Warriors; Ask a Doctor, Pharmacist & Therapist sponsored by Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Survivors Healing Center; an art project and how to safely secure medicines sponsored by the youth of Friday Night Live: arts, games and alternative pain management options sponsored by Bay Area Pain & Wellness Center; Prescription Drug Take-Back station hosted by the Santa Cruz Police Department, Overdose reversal (Narcan) information and training by Janus and Santa Cruz Fire Department First Responders; live music by Garfield Park Band; yoga with Yoga For All Movement; group acupuncture and mindfulness demonstrations; and food by Ate3one and Lindsey's Palate Pleasures. Safe Rx – Talk About It: Prescription Drug Community Solutions will be held at Garfield Park Community Church on October 1st from noon to 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for the community to come together in an affirmative way to learn about important and potentially lifesaving information in a fun atmosphere. For additional event information visit: http://bit.ly/2toeWvm To register for the event, go to: https://saferxevent.eventbrite.com If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mary Mason at 831-454-5003 or email at Mary.Mason@santacruzcounty.us. *Data source: California Department of Public Health opioid dashboard: http://cdph.ca.gov/opioiddashboard
COMMUNITY UNITES FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE OPIOID CRISIS Santa Cruz County Community Prevention Partners & SafeRx Santa Cruz County Present: Safe Rx – Talk About It: Prescription Drug Community Solutions
On October 1st Santa Cruz County Community Prevention Partners and SafeRx Santa Cruz County will host a community event to raise awareness about safe Rx practices and what every person in Santa Cruz County can do to make a positive difference in how the opioid epidemic impacts our community. In Santa Cruz County, enough opioids are prescribed for every man, woman, and child to medicate themselves around the clock for 6 weeks of each year, * and in 2015 Santa Cruz County was 9th out of 58 California counties in overdose deaths. What is less known is that Santa Cruz County has been proactive about changing these trends. Locally, two multiple sector coalitions, Community Prevention Partners and SafeRx are working together with doctors, pharmacists, and other community members to shift prescribing practices, provide alternatives for long-term pain management, increase locking of medications, and disposal of unused meds at drop offs sites around Santa Cruz County. We invite the community to learn about all the ways our partner organizations and community members are collaborating to prevent this crisis from spreading. You are invited to this family friendly event hosted by KION’s Spencer Washburn with a keynote by Dr. Bill Morris on “How to Talk to Your Doctor,” and a welcome by Supervisor Coonerty and Councilmember Watkins. The event features a 3-point shooting contest sponsored by the Santa Cruz Warriors; Ask a Doctor, Pharmacist & Therapist sponsored by Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Survivors Healing Center; an art project and how to safely secure medicines sponsored by the youth of Friday Night Live: arts, games and alternative pain management options sponsored by Bay Area Pain & Wellness Center; Prescription Drug Take-Back station hosted by the Santa Cruz Police Department, Overdose reversal (Narcan) information and training by Janus and Santa Cruz Fire Department First Responders; live music by Garfield Park Band; yoga with Yoga For All Movement; group acupuncture and mindfulness demonstrations; and food by Ate3one and Lindsey's Palate Pleasures. Safe Rx – Talk About It: Prescription Drug Community Solutions will be held at Garfield Park Community Church on October 1st from noon to 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for the community to come together in an affirmative way to learn about important and potentially lifesaving information in a fun atmosphere. For additional event information visit: http://bit.ly/2toeWvm To register for the event, go to: https://saferxevent.eventbrite.com If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mary Mason at 831-454-5003 or email at Mary.Mason@santacruzcounty.us. *Data source: California Department of Public Health opioid dashboard: http://cdph.ca.gov/opioiddashboard