Courier Journal hosts online opioid forum. Send us your questions on treatment, prevention

Beth Warren, Louisville Courier Journal
Updated ·3 min read

Amid the deadliest drug epidemic in American history, many misconceptions remain about how to safely treat pain without risking addiction and how to aid someone who has overdosed.

The Courier Journal is hosting an online opioid forum on Facebook Live and YouTube from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12. An expert panel will answer your questions and cut through the confusion to keep you and your loved ones safe.

The opioid crisis, largely fueled by drugs from Mexican cartels, resulted in more than 109,000 deaths last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC stresses increasing access to naloxone as one of several strategies to prevent overdose deaths and medication-assisted treatment to aid addiction recovery.

Go to courier-journal.com to watch the forum live or use this link to view it live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5L839OeBBg.

Panelists for the event are:

Chris Evans, who headed DEA global drug enforcement efforts before retiring.
Chris Evans, who headed DEA global drug enforcement efforts before retiring.

  • Chris Evans, who served as the chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration before he retired. He commanded the DEA's global drug enforcement efforts in 240 domestic offices and 93 foreign offices in 69 countries. Prior to his promotion to the agency's top leadership team, he led the DEA's Louisville Field Division − cautioning parents about drug threats that may impact teens

Dr. Christopher Stewart
Dr. Christopher Stewart

  • Dr. Chris Stewart, who is an addiction psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Louisville Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine. He is the training director of the U of L Addiction Psychiatry Residency Program and the director of the Physicians Outpatient Center. His career has been dedicated to treating addiction through teaching, research, clinical work and social advocacy.

Shreeta Waldon, executive director of the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, works to prevent drug overdose deaths.
Shreeta Waldon, executive director of the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, works to prevent drug overdose deaths.
Linda Ciccariello Squire lost her son, Johnny, to an accidental overdose. She now leads a support group for grieving parents.
Linda Ciccariello Squire lost her son, Johnny, to an accidental overdose. She now leads a support group for grieving parents.

Linda Ciccariello Squire, whose son, Johnny, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at age 25. He never hit rock bottom − maintaining a job, going to school part time and caring for two cats. Squire started the Johnny Squire Foundation, a nonprofit to help people struggling with substance use disorder and GRASP, a grief support group for those who lost a loved one from an overdose.

The event moderator:

Investigative reporter Beth Warren has covered the opioid epidemic for the Courier Journal for eight years.
Investigative reporter Beth Warren has covered the opioid epidemic for the Courier Journal for eight years.

Beth Warren, a veteran investigative journalist at The Courier Journal who has covered addiction, recovery, overdose prevention and drug trafficking trends for eight years and was a San Diego journalism fellow with the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Some topics we will discuss include:

  • Pain medicine: How to talk to your doctor about treating pain without risking addiction to opioids. Knowing the facts is crucial, since some doctors still overprescribe, risking patient addiction.

  • The nation's top drug threat. We'll discuss new warnings by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

  • Addiction warning signs: Some men and women who are battling addiction still maintain jobs and family relationships, hiding their struggle. Some warning signs are subtle, but key to knowing when to intervene.

  • Confusion about Narcan: Narcan, a name brand of the opioid antidote naloxone, is readily available at most drug stores, health clinics and even online, but there are some misconceptions that could render it ineffective in a crisis. We'll discuss the proper dosing, steps to follow after administering and how to store the lifesaving medicine.

Narcan, a name brand naloxone product, comes in an easy-to-use nasal spray and save the life of an overdose victim.
Narcan, a name brand naloxone product, comes in an easy-to-use nasal spray and save the life of an overdose victim.

Submit your questions about fentanyl, naloxone, pain medicine and other opioid-related topics before the forum by emailing reporter Beth Warren at sewarren@gannett.com. Please include "forum questions" in the subject field. You can remain anonymous.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Online Opioid Forum to discuss safe pain management, Narcan, naloxone