HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (April 15, 2016) – In Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, journalist and author Sam Quinones demystifies the extraordinary story of black tar heroin and how it has ravaged so many American communities, including our own.
Next week, he will join with NKU faculty, staff, and students for a three-day event to advance the dialogue and help explore solutions to this critical issue in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
“Community in Crisis: Confronting Our Heroin Epidemic” is the inaugural initiative of NKU’s Health Innovation Center, which will open in 2018.
“It is our hope that this event will be a catalyst for discussion and a fuller understanding of the heroin epidemic in Northern Kentucky, where too many lives have been damaged and lost already,” said NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns.
Quinones will conduct a public lecture on Monday, April 18; participate in a daylong symposium Tuesday, April 19; and visit with NKU faculty, staff, and students as well as community leaders Wednesday, April 20 in their ongoing efforts to find solutions to this crisis in our community. The lecture and symposium are free and open to the public.
The event is the inaugural initiative of NKU’s forthcoming Health Innovation Center. When it opens in 2018, the Center will be devoted to addressing public health issues by preparing students to work in the 21st century public health and health care fields, where solutions are found through transdisciplinary collaborations that engage a full range of knowledge and break down the silos that isolate expertise.
“Families who have experienced the devastating consequences of heroin use, as well as health care professionals working on the front lines of this health crisis, are united in asking our community to erase the stigma of addiction and understand that this is a disease that must be treated with a comprehensive health approach,” said Provost Sue Ott Rowlands. “Their message is our message: that those who know about the devastation cannot be silent; and those who do not know are invited to listen and learn.”
The community is invited to attend and participate. The lecture is at 7 p.m. Monday, April 18 at Greaves Concert Hall and will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by WCPO-TV news anchor Craig McKee.
Tuesday’s “Think Tank” symposium begins at 8:30 a.m. in the James C. and Rachel M. Votruba Student Union Ballroom. It is presented by the College of Education and Human Services, in partnership with the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Inclusive Excellence.
For information or to attend, please visit http://hicinfo.nku.edu/events.html.
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