Roswell Doctor To Speak On Dangers Of Opioids At Atlanta Panel

ROSWELL, GA — In 2016 in Fulton County, 154 people died of opioid overdoses, in 2017, 127 people died, and in 2018, Fulton County and its incorporated cities witnessed opioid overdoses and 133 deaths. Opioid addiction has been declared a crisis in metro Atlanta and across the country.

To try to combat that, Fulton County Opioid Coordinator Lynnette Allen will host a May 13 panel discussion regarding prescription drug and opioid misuse. The 2 p.m. town hall forum, which is open to all members of the public will be held at the Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility located at 515 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30312. Allen serves in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The opioid focus is relevant to the community at large and to seniors who often take prescription painkillers that contain opioids. The forum will also serve as a precaution for those seniors who may live in or visit multigenerational homes. The Drug Enforcement Administration says that most people who misuse prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and acquaintances, and the most frequent source is the home medicine cabinet. Lives can be saved and addictions prevented through the proper use and secure storage of prescription drugs.

The forum will feature Dr. Kym Leonard Mwansa, DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), and family medicine specialist, in Roswell. Joining Dr. Mwansa will be John Bringuel, MA, ICPS, Statewide Project Director, GA Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative, The Council on Alcohol and Drugs, along with two persons in recovery who will discuss their struggles with addiction. A representative of the Fulton County Youth Commission, Hayes Miller will also join the group to discuss their commitment to fighting opioid addiction among young people through presentations at middle and high schools.

Free parking is available for all citizens who visit to attend the panel discussion.