Mississippi Business Journal: Ole Miss brings multidisciplinary approach to addressing the opioid addiction crisis
By BECKY GILLETTE
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 33,000 people in the U.S. died in 2015 as a result of an opiate overdose. One study of areas in 45 states showed opiate overdoses increased by 30 percent between July 2016 and September 2017. The opioid problem has been referred to as the worst addiction problem in U.S. history. Its victims include people from all income levels and walks of life.
A recent symposium at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) was targeted towards developing a new approach to the problem that has spiraled out of control. More than 300 law and pharmacy students attended the symposium, “An Interprofessional Approach to the Opioid Crisis in Mississippi.” The symposium included a mock trial in front of Roy Percy, magistrate judge for the Northern District of Mississippi, and a keynote speech by Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.
Ole Miss Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter commended the schools for proactively addressing the opioid epidemic.
“By working together, we are more likely to understand the full breadth of this challenge and to find innovative solutions,” Vitter said.