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Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium kicks off downtown

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The 7th annual Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force Symposium begins Thursday at the Indiana Convention Center.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller will kick off the two-day event with opening remarks Thursday morning. Zoeller is also the founder of the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force.

The symposium will focus on new challenges in the fight against prescription drug abuse. Specifically, it will address the high number of overdoses which the task force says is unprecedented.

This year’s theme is “Rebuilding the Hoosier Heartland.” Under that umbrella the symposium’s focus will be to arm communities with how to curtail abuse and get people the help they need.

The keynote speaker will be Sam Quinones, a journalist who also authored the book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic.”

The symposium will have breakout sessions designed to address specific issues like “opioids and adolescents” and “strategies for success.”

According to the event page, this is the largest statewide collaboration of professionals impacted by drug abuse. Representatives from local, state and federal agencies as well as educators, clinicians and advocates will be attending.

For more information on the task force initiatives, click here.