County and public health officials have joined forces to address the local opioid crisis in Cobb County. The first county-wide forum was held earlier today at Jim R. Miller Park. The focus of this meeting was for local leaders to learn more about the Cobb County opioid prevention and response model. More than 80 partners attended the meeting, including government officials, healthcare providers, law enforcement, first responders, and victim advocates.
Cobb County officials from the District Attorney’s Office and Cobb & Douglas Public Health recently visited U.S. counties with proven opioid prevention and response programs and brought the successful framework of these programs back to Cobb County. Some of the areas of focus will include:
- hospitals and emergency centers,
- families and the directly affected,
- opioid providers,
- naloxone access,
- law enforcement & judicial,
- community education and prevention, and
- assessment, treatment, and recovery.
“We are very excited about the goals that were discussed at the meeting and look forward to making an impact in addressing our community’s opioid epidemic,” said Cobb & Douglas Public Health District Director Dr. Janet Memark.
According to data from Cobb & Douglas Public Health, opioid-involved overdose deaths have been rapidly increasing in Georgia since 2010, driven largely by increased use and misuse of prescription opioids (e.g., Oxycodone and Hydrocodone). Of Georgia’s counties, Cobb had the highest number of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017 and the second highest in 2018.
For more information about the opioid epidemic, visit https://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/services-adult-health-services-opioid-epidemic/
To get involved with future opioid meetings in Cobb County, email: CobbOpioidTaskforce@dph.ga.gov.
About Cobb & Douglas Public Health
Cobb & Douglas Public Health, along with the Georgia Department of Public Health, has been committed to the mission of “Healthier Lives. Healthier Community.” since 1920. We are dedicated to improving our residents’ quality of life by tracking and preventing the spread of disease, promoting health and safety, providing exceptional medical services, and ensuring that our community is prepared for public health emergencies. For more information, visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.