Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on Opioid Summit:

Opioid Summit looks to focus on solutions to crisis

• By Kenya Woodard, Times Correspondent

Monday, September 25, 2017 9:22am

TAMPA — An upcoming conference about the opioid crisis will offer information and resources that healthcare officials and government leaders say can help dispel stigmas related to addiction and help those afflicted seek treatment.

Tuesday’s Opioid Summit at T. Pepin Hospitality Center will feature key addresses from Florida Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Phillip and renowned addiction expert Dr. Mark Gold. The event is free and open to the public. The conference brings together healthcare workers, physicians, public health officials, and members of law enforcement to discuss solutions to the opioid problem, said Susan Morgan, spokeswoman for Gracepoint, a mental health wellness center.

“There’s a lot of training and education that needs to be done,” she said. “The more we can talk about it, we can start to have those breakthroughs.”

Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, unlocking $27 million in federal funds for prevention, treatment and recovery services.

Legislators also passed two bills this spring attacking the problem: one increases penalties for traffickers of fentanyl, a synthetic cousin of heroin that is far more deadly; another cracks down on unscrupulous owners of halfway houses.

Similar conferences are taking place throughout the state but the Hillsborough gathering is especially timely: there was a 69 percent increase in heroin-related deaths from 2014 to 2015 in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

The crisis’ ripple can be felt far beyond the families and friends of those who struggle with addiction, Morgan said.

“There are employers who can’t find employees because they can’t pass the drug test,” she said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman, who organized the event, said the spike in the number of opioid-related deaths is “just awful”.

“(Opioid crisis) is a big issue for this area with the number of deaths,” she said. “We need an action plan.”

The conference offers a chance to further examine how local government can respond, including matching state and federal funds, she said.

The influx of federal money is “a game-changer” that opens new pathways to treatment for Gracepoint’s clients who seek help through its partner Agency for Community Treatment Services, Morgan said.

“If the detox is full, we can start the process while they’re waiting or if they don’t have insurance they can still get treatment,” she said.

Summits are helpful in bringing not only awareness to the problem but also shedding the stigma that comes with addiction, Morgan said.

“We have to combat the stigma,” she said. “There’s one conclusion and that is although addiction is chronic, it is treatable.”