CSAC 2nd VP Appointed to National Task Force
Joint County-City Venture to Tackle Opioid & Heroin Abuse
CSAC Second Vice President and Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez has been appointed to serve on a new joint national task force to address the nation’s opioid and heroin abuse crisis. The National City-County Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic – a joint project of the National Association of Counties and National League of Cities – is comprised of 24 county and city leaders from across the country who will aim to enhance awareness, facilitate peer exchanges and identify sound policy and partnership solutions. Supervisor Perez is one of 12 county elected officials on the task force.
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with more than 47,000 lethal drug doses in 2014. This epidemic is driven largely by overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers and deaths related to heroin.
Actions expected to be taken by the task force include:
- Conduct at least two national dialogues where city and county elected leaders will explore the comprehensive issues related to this crisis, growing trends and proven responses;
- Develop educational opportunities for counties and cities through special forums, educational workshops, webinars and other opportunities; and
- Publish a national summary report of city-county collaboration, focusing on community prevention and overdose response, effective treatment options, public safety enforcement and supply reduction.
According to NACo President Sallie Clark, “Addressing this issue is a top priority for local leaders. … Drawing on the expertise of county and city leaders, this task force will focus on achieving results on the ground and strengthening health, safety and security in our neighborhoods.”
For more information about the task force, click here.