On Thursday, June 23rd, Drug Czar Michael Botticelli will lead a web conference for families affected by opiate addiction—to help them understand federal efforts to stop the rise in fatal opiate overdoses and to receive feedback on how the government can aid families’ own efforts to combat the opiate crisis.
As the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Botticelli has been at the forefront of federal prevention and treatment efforts. He has also been traveling around the country, holding community forums to raise awareness and lessen the stigma of addiction. The online webinar is an attempt to expand on those efforts to reach a larger audience of parents and family members, particularly to raise awareness about the success of medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
“This event is designed to be an opportunity for ONDCP to share their recent efforts to reduce drug overdose deaths and opioid misuse, and to learn from parents like you how the Administration can assist with your work to keep our children safe,” wrote Botticelli in his webinar invitation to Families Against Narcotics (FAN) and The Addict’s Mom (TAM). Participants will be able to share questions when they register, and the Drug Czar will address them live during the webinar.
Throughout his in-person national forums, Botticelli has taken the time to hear the voices of families in crisis across the country. Earlier this year, he did an online forum for The Addict’s Mom, where he fielded questions and listened to the experiences of the TAM community, the loved ones of those struggling with addiction.
The Fix believes in the positive efforts being taken by Director Botticelli, and we gladly impart his message to the families: “I encourage you to share this invitation with other parents whose lives have been impacted by a child with a substance use disorder. This conversation is limited to the parents and family members. I hope you can join me at this webinar to discuss how we can work together to make America healthier and safer for all.”
Here is a link to register for the online forum. The ONDCP requests that registrations be made by Tuesday, June 21st.