ALBUQUERQUE – Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bernalillo County Commission and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center will meet with the media at 11:00 A.M. on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, to discuss ongoing efforts to educate New Mexico’s youth and young adults about the perils of heroin and prescription drug abuse. They will be joined by community stakeholders.
WHO:
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins
Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade, FBI Albuquerque Division
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite, DEA Albuquerque District Office
Dr. Joanna G. Katzman, Director, UNM Pain Center
Michel Disco, Assistant Dean for External Programs, UNM College of Pharmacy
Ryan P. Cangiolosi, Senior Strategic Advisor & Director of Strategic Communications at the UNM Health Sciences Center
WHEN:
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Mexico
201 Third Street NW
10th Floor Multi-Media Room (Reception on Ninth Floor)
Albuquerque, NM 87102
OPEN PRESS
This dialogue with the media, which is presented by the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, will begin at 11:00 a.m. It will follow the 10:00 a.m. screening of Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict, a 45-minute documentary film unveiled last week by the FBI and DEA which is aimed at educating students and young adults about the dangers of addiction. The documentary profiles the stories of several people who either abused opiates or had family members become addicts, and looks at the tragic consequences associated with opioid abuse. The documentary, which is intended to reach students and young adults before they become addicted, may be viewed at https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2016/february/raising-awareness-of-opioid-addiction. Note: the documentary includes profanity which has been muted on the version available at this link.
The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. This dialogue is part of the prevention and education component of the HOPE Initiative.
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:45 a.m. MDT. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or alyssa.ferda@usdoj.gov.