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Law Enforcement Agencies Team Up To Spread Opioid Awareness

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images/NPR.org
Opioids

The war on the opioid epidemic continues in Yuma County. That is why the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies will be joining forces for a series of opioid awareness presentations.

The first one will be held in the San Luis High School Auditorium on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. The same presention will take place in Yuma at the Cibola High School Auditorium on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Both events will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited.

“These presentations are another way of getting vital information to the students and families of Yuma County about a problem that impacts communities across the nation,” said Yuma Union High School District Associate Superintendent Tim Brienza.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arizona is one of the states that has seen a significant increase in opioid deaths since 2016. In 2018, for example, opioids claimed 1,375 lives in Arizona. So far in 2019, law enforcement agencies across Arizona have seized more than 300,000 counterfeit prescription pills - more than double what was seized in all of 2018. These seized pills contain the powerful opioids commonly responsible for overdose deaths.

“Prosecuting those who illegally distribute opioids in Arizona is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey.

As far as the Yuma Union High School District is concerned, they will continue to provide information to families in Yuma County.

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