Hondros College of Nursing hosts ‘Fighting the Opioid Epidemic’

DAYTON — Hondros College of Nursing in Fairborn, Ohio will host “Fighting the Opioid Epidemic: How Nurses Can Help” on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the entire community at the Fairborn campus, located at 1810 Successful Drive.

More than 33,000 people died in the U.S. as a result of opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin in 2015, more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Closer to home, an estimated 800 people in Montgomery County, Ohio, which includes Dayton, will die this year from drug overdose, more than double the 370 overdose deaths the county recorded last year. That gives the county the dubious distinction of logging the most overdose deaths in the country per capita, according to the county’s coroner’s office.

Dayton is one of the pilot cities for the “DEA 360-Degree Strategy” to fight the opioid epidemic.

“A new opioid epidemic is overtaking the nation, claiming thousands of lives and the charge against opioid abuse must start where it began – in the healthcare industry,” said Scott Stiver, campus director for Hondros College of Nursing in Fairborn. “While doctors are starting to write less prescriptions, there are also things that nurses can do to help. We want to spread awareness to not only our future nurses but to the community as well.”

The event will include volunteers from the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services, Goodwill Easter Seals, Girls & Guys off Drugs, Families of Addicts, Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, and the Dayton Area Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous (12 Step Program), participating in the event, which will include presentations, guest speakers, giveaways, and more.

The event will include: presentations on drug awareness with a focus on opioids; how nursing students can help educate their patients, families and friends; and what services each organization provides to assist victims and their families.