Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner will be one of the speakers at a day-long summit next week about Kentucky’s prescription pill addiction problem.
Federal prosecutors in Kentucky organized the first state-wide Prescription Drug Abuse Summit for Feb. 1 at the University of Kentucky¿Chandler Hospital Pavilion in Lexington. According to a news release, federal prosecutors in Kentucky prosecuted approximately 120 prescription pill cases in the last two years, more than double the number of cases involving other drugs.
“This summit will lead to increased communication and awareness among all those that are engaged in this fight,” said U.S. Attorney Kerry B¿. Harvey said in a statement. “We encourage more industry professionals who are part of this ongoing battle to attend so we can create a strong and united front to combat this pill epidemic.”
Gov. Steve Beshear, University of Kentucky President Elip Capiluto and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wilfredo Ferrer are featured speakers. Other speakers include Burtner, Van Ingram, the executive director for Kentucky’s Office of Drug Control Policy, Paintsville Police Chief Bill Holbrook and several doctors from UK’s colleges of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
