MONROE - Local police, doctors and even a member of the Wisconsin Department of Safety are gathering to address opioid addiction, abuse and recovery during "Confronting a Crisis," at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Monroe Middle School auditorium.
George Breadon, director of Pleasant View Nursing Home and a medical doctor, had a hand in the event's planning. He hopes to get the word out to those in Green County. The event will focus on opioids and their impact on families, friends and communities. Breadon hopes many adult community members - especially parents - will attend.
"It's an informational meeting to let people know this is an epidemic that's flooding our country right now," Breadon said.
The event will have 10 speakers, including Laura Gutierrez, Wisconsin secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services. She plans to talk about the state position on opioid abuse.
Two physicians will also speak: Paul Rebedew, an emergency room doctor in Monroe, and David Murdy, a past president of the Rock County Medical Society and 30-year internal medical physician at Dean who also serves on the opiate task force.
Two years ago, Murdy was part of a similar event in Rock County. He said more doctors in practices are stepping up to make sure medications are used safely, and more people are interested in awareness, concerns and treatment.
Murdy said physicians have a duty to alleviate pain, but the subject can be complex. In recent years, doctors have changed and recognized how hazardous pain medications can be. Often, they fall into the wrong hands.
Green County Sheriff Mark Rohloff, who serves on the Green County task force, will also be in attendance, along with several other area police chiefs and District Attorney Craig Nolen.
Green County Sheriff's deputies have carried Narcan, a brand name for naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, for about a year.
A solid number of cases of opioid addiction and abuse is hard to pin down. They are scattered throughout police, hospitals and recovery facilities. However, Rohloff sees the importance of awareness, legislation, treatment and even grants being made available to help on a local level.
"Not everybody that's a drug abuser is a criminal," Rohloff said. "There is a way to recovery. There is a way back."
He also hopes attendance will be high.
"Since we started the task force and drug court efforts, we're hopeful we'll see some success," Rohloff said. "You have to try. You can't just sit by and let someone ruin their lives."
Braedon said children are introduced to drugs at the middle school level, and by the time they reach high school and college, things become worse.
"They inadvertently get caught up in something," Breadon said.
The Monroe Optimists are sponsoring the event, a group Breadon has been a part of for several years.
"This is important to me because I'm a physician," Breadon said. "Kids are dying. The death of a child just bothers me, and if we can do something to avoid it, all the better."
George Breadon, director of Pleasant View Nursing Home and a medical doctor, had a hand in the event's planning. He hopes to get the word out to those in Green County. The event will focus on opioids and their impact on families, friends and communities. Breadon hopes many adult community members - especially parents - will attend.
"It's an informational meeting to let people know this is an epidemic that's flooding our country right now," Breadon said.
The event will have 10 speakers, including Laura Gutierrez, Wisconsin secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services. She plans to talk about the state position on opioid abuse.
Two physicians will also speak: Paul Rebedew, an emergency room doctor in Monroe, and David Murdy, a past president of the Rock County Medical Society and 30-year internal medical physician at Dean who also serves on the opiate task force.
Two years ago, Murdy was part of a similar event in Rock County. He said more doctors in practices are stepping up to make sure medications are used safely, and more people are interested in awareness, concerns and treatment.
Murdy said physicians have a duty to alleviate pain, but the subject can be complex. In recent years, doctors have changed and recognized how hazardous pain medications can be. Often, they fall into the wrong hands.
Green County Sheriff Mark Rohloff, who serves on the Green County task force, will also be in attendance, along with several other area police chiefs and District Attorney Craig Nolen.
Green County Sheriff's deputies have carried Narcan, a brand name for naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, for about a year.
A solid number of cases of opioid addiction and abuse is hard to pin down. They are scattered throughout police, hospitals and recovery facilities. However, Rohloff sees the importance of awareness, legislation, treatment and even grants being made available to help on a local level.
"Not everybody that's a drug abuser is a criminal," Rohloff said. "There is a way to recovery. There is a way back."
He also hopes attendance will be high.
"Since we started the task force and drug court efforts, we're hopeful we'll see some success," Rohloff said. "You have to try. You can't just sit by and let someone ruin their lives."
Braedon said children are introduced to drugs at the middle school level, and by the time they reach high school and college, things become worse.
"They inadvertently get caught up in something," Breadon said.
The Monroe Optimists are sponsoring the event, a group Breadon has been a part of for several years.
"This is important to me because I'm a physician," Breadon said. "Kids are dying. The death of a child just bothers me, and if we can do something to avoid it, all the better."