2022 Southern Nevada Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit

Registration open to the public

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 1, 2022

LAS VEGAS – The community’s third annual Southern Nevada Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, focusing on Facts, not Fear: Understanding Fentanyl and Its Impacts, will take place on Wednesday, August 10, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. This year’s speakers will discuss ways to expand access to evidence-based harm reduction services, remove barriers to treatment, and address recovery support services, at-risk populations, community prevention efforts and more. 

• Statewide, Nevada saw a 28.6% increase in fatal overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020.
• Statewide overdoses among those younger than 25 years more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.
• In Clark County, deaths increased from 445 deaths in 2019 to 605 in 2020. This increase is primarily driven by synthetic opioids (which includes fentanyl), benzodiazepines, and cocaine.
• The number of deaths involving fentanyl among Clark County residents increased from 81 in 2019 to 209 in 2020, and 225 in 2021.

(Data are preliminary and subject to change.)

Presentations will also include information about harm-reduction tools, including fentanyl test strips and naloxone; education about fentanyl including prevention science; the public health issues and intervention strategies surrounding the opioid and fentanyl epidemic; a fentanyl impact panel; collegiate recovery communities; treatment options for pregnant and post-partum people; the scope of sexual violence in the community; and the nature and scope of human trafficking in our communities.

Interested participants can attend virtually or in person at the Marriott Renaissance located at 3400 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89169. Registration is $25 for in-person participation and $5 to attend virtually. Scholarships are available. Registration is now open. The Summit is a collaboration between the Southern Nevada Health District, Nevada’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and the PACT Coalition. For more information about the event or to register to attend, visit www.snhd.info/snsmops22. For additional questions, contact Katarina Pulver, pulver@snhd.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.