Opioid crisis summit taking place in Hillsborough County

TAMPA, Fla. - Opioids have had a devastating impact on communities across the state and country, including Hillsborough County.

That’s why state and local leaders will gather for the "Opioid Summit 2023 - Fighting for the Future of Florida Families.'' It will focus on education, prevention, treatment and recovery.

"The reason we do this to this extent is to lend awareness to the opioid addiction problem, to the drug overdose problems and what that does to the community, not just to individuals, but to the community itself," said Bradley Herremans, the chair of the Behavioral Health Task Force.

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Presenters will discuss the opioid crisis from the perspectives of behavioral health and recovery, policy and resources, law enforcement/judicial and health care systems, including first responders.

"You got a lot of people that care," Herremans said. "A lot of people are coming together that, you know, that's their life's work to try to improve on these things. And then most of them are going to be in their room tomorrow."

John Templeton Jr. is the President of Footprints Beachside Recovery. He said the opioid crisis is getting worse and these types of events are important because it’s something that impacts everyone.

"The potential of dying from that little decision, it's just not worth the high. So, I'm hoping we can all stand united, you know, like one Tampa Bay area right now and try to educate all," Templeton said.

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If you need help, you can visit footprintsbeachside.com or call (727) 677-5410.

The summit will go from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at TPepin's Hospitality Centre located at 4121 North 50th Street in Tampa.