ROCKVILLE, Md. — Leaders in Montgomery County are turning to the community to hear about how the opioid crisis is impacting the state, and hear ideas on how to address it. Maryland's Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) and Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services are hosting a town hall Thursday night in Rockville.
It's the latest in a series of town hall meetings the OOCC has hosted in Maryland over the past several months. Emily Keller, Maryland’s special secretary of opioid response, will be joined by county and state officials, including Montgomery County Health Officer Kisha Davis.
“Like many communities across Maryland, Montgomery County has been impacted by the opioid crisis,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We appreciate the sense of urgency that Secretary Keller and the Moore-Miller administration have and their desire to hear about the challenges facing communities. We have been working hard on addressing the issue here, but we cannot do it alone and we welcome the partnership with the State. I encourage residents to attend.”
The event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the third floor hearing room of the Montgomery County Council Office Building, located at 100 Maryland Avenue.
Information about County programs and services will be available at resource tables from 6-6:30 p.m. On-the-spot training also will be offered on how to use Naloxone, the nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The listening session will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Attendees of the town hall will have an opportunity to speak and share their ideas on supporting people with substance use disorders, and for preventing overdoses in Montgomery County.
The event is open to the public, but advanced registration is recommended.