The Chamber Partnership’s 2019 Fall Workshop will be Tuesday, Nov. 19, 5:30 p.m. at the Rosenwald Building on the Prentiss Institute campus. The topic will be “The PROMISE Initiative: Preventing Opioid Misuse in the Southeast.”

The guest speaker will be Dr. David Buys, project director of the PROMISE Initiative.

The United States, including the state of Mississippi, is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Approximately 150 people die every day from an opioid overdose. Therefore, Preventing Opioid Misuse in the SouthEast, the PROMISE Initiative, is fighting the opioid epidemic with a multi-phased approach to prevent prescription opioid misuse in rural Mississippi.

PROMISE Initiative efforts include community engagement forums that assess the region’s perceived needs and readiness for education about opioid misuse

Extension education, agent-led and peer-to-peer, to expand knowledge about proper opioid use a social marketing campaign to encourage proper opioid use, and placement of prescription drug take-back boxes throughout the state.

Information gathered from community members, in person and from statewide surveys, will be used to develop and implement the social marketing campaign to promote proper use and disposal of prescription opioids. The community-based research will also be incorporated into Mississippi State University Extension Service educational materials that encourage proper use and disposal of prescription opioids.

Following the guest speaker there will be a panel discussion lead by Alania Cedillo, Administrator of the Jefferson Davis County Hospital.

Additional participants will be setting up informational tables: Department of Human Services; Jefferson Davis County Hospital; Legal Shield; Five County Transportation; DJ Transit; 2020 Census and Academic Innovations for Reading Success (AIRS)

This is a free event and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For information call Barbara Slater at the Chamber Partnership 601-792-5903.