Today, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes helped lead a discussion with leaders from over forty federal, state, local, and tribal organizations, on the value of partnerships and other tools in combating the opioid crisis in America. You can read the official media release here. Shout out to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs staff for hosting a very informative, classy, consequential event.
Let’s save some lives.
LIVE STREAM
Event begins at the 29-minute mark.
Here is the breakdown of comments made in the opening forum (the smaller breakout sessions afterward were not live-streamed). One of the highlights of the discussion – in our humble opinion – was when AG Reyes highlighted the powerful Utah partnerships that make fighting the opioids crisis a winnable effort.
Welcome and Introduction from Doug Hoelscher
Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President of the United States
Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Panel Discussion Introduction by Katie Talento
Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General
Jim Carroll, Deputy Director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Anne Hazlett, Assistant Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health, Health and Human Services
Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General, Follow-up comments
Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health, Follow-up comments
If you would like to get involved in the fight to free your family and community from the opioid epidemic, please contact our office.
TWITTER SNAPSHOTS:
Here is @UtahAG Sean Reyes with some additional perspective: “We have lost more Americans to opioid overdoses than we did the entire Vietnam conflict.” pic.twitter.com/g1RWrezyCH
— Rural Development (@usdaRD) September 28, 2018
Honored & privileged to sit on @WhiteHouse Best Practices to Combat Opioid Crisis Summit panel today with US Surgeon General and other experts & over 40 reps from states and territories in attendance. Hopeful for positive outcomes and action items. #utpol pic.twitter.com/fBhulCToMd
— Sean Reyes (@SeanReyesUT) September 28, 2018
Important conversation at the @WhiteHouse this morning discussing federal and state efforts to combat the #opioidcrisis. pic.twitter.com/72tWOhoF5j
— ADM Brett P. Giroir (@HHS_ASH) September 28, 2018
AG @SeanReyesUT outlines what #Utah does right: our key teams and coalitions in the #opioids battle. From the #DEA to the #utleg to churches, state officials, federal leaders, and grassroots activists – “We’re all in.” https://t.co/E6prTbq3zo #utpol #opioidcrisis
— Utah Attorney General (@UtahAG) September 28, 2018
“This is not a republican issue or a democrat issue. This is a humanitarian issue. It is no respecter of persons. It is a killer of people of every single background. Because of that we need everyone to work together.” – @SeanReyesUT #opioidcrisis #utpol pic.twitter.com/a6HPuDO3ya
— Utah Attorney General (@UtahAG) September 28, 2018
Kellyanne Conway announces https://t.co/h4zuxy4GmM as a new resource to share #opioidcrisis stories and information. Check it out.
— Utah Attorney General (@UtahAG) September 28, 2018
Today at @WhiteHouse I engaged in meaningful discussion about the social costs of the opioid crisis with state, local and federal leaders including @DrMcCance_Katz thank you to all who participated #recoveryispossible #opioidcrisis #partnership pic.twitter.com/INDmds9WQ9
— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) September 28, 2018
Words of hope to end the public session: “Although we face a Herculean task it is not a futile one. There is no silver bullet but there is a lot of silver buckshot.”
– HHS’ Admiral Giroir #opioidcrisis #utpol @HHS_ASH https://t.co/FcxaqoXvuY pic.twitter.com/No75u2EC2F— Utah Attorney General (@UtahAG) September 28, 2018
A FEW HELPFUL LINKS
- Word from the Utah AG’s Office: the official media release
- Share Your Story: The Crisis Next Door – the president’s new website
- Word from Virginia: Southwest Virginia reps to visit the White House for opioid crisis conference
In related news, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6, the Support for Patients and Communities Act while we were meeting today. You can read up on the bill here. Another step in the right direction.
We can win this.
