Opioid Overdose Crisis To Be Discussed At Westlake Event

WESTLAKE, OH — Ohio's opioid epidemic will be at the center of an upcoming panel discussion at Westlake Porter Public Library. On Jan. 11, the Cleveland Clinic's "Heroin, Fentanyl and Carfentanil: The Triple Threat on Our Doorstep” event will come to town and will feature a Westlake cop, among other panelists.

"The opioid epidemic has struck municipalities like Westlake along with the rest of the state. We are not immune,” said Captain Jerry Vogel, one of the panelists for the discussion. “It is important for community members to recognize the problem and to learn how they can assist law enforcement and their own families fight the epidemic and slow the crisis."

This upcoming community is free, but registration is required. Interested attendees can register online at https://www.clevelandclinic.org/TripleThreat. The discussion will start at 6 p.m. Registered attendees can check out various resources tables at the event at 5:30 p.m.

The goal of the event is to bring together residents and local experts to discuss, openly, how to best grapple with the opioid epidemic. It's an epidemic that has reached urban hubs, suburban communities and rural townships the same.

Last year, more than 4,000 people died from drug overdoses in Ohio. The emergency of fentanyl and other opioid analogues have spurred further deaths, leading to a bloody 2017. Westlake has since its own share of opioid overdoses in since the beginning of the year, including a deadly overdose over Memorial Day weekend.

One of the tactics the city is deploying to stem the opioid overdose is a prescription medicine drop-off.

“One practical and important step that residents can immediately take is to remove unused and expired prescription and over-the counter medications from their homes,” added Vogel. “We know that addicts often first began abusing prescription medications they found at home or took them while visiting family or friends who had them.”

Photo from Renee Schiavone, Patch