The Broward Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida will not meet on January 2 because of its close proximity to the busy holiday season and New Year’s Day.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday evening, February 1st 7pm-9pm.   Whatever you celebrate, the DECF Board wishes you and yours a very happy and safe holiday, and an environmentally green 2018! See you at our next meeting on Tuesday, February 6.

Special Presentation ~ The Opioid Crisis in Broward County and Florida Guest Speakers: Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief and   Steven Kaltman DMD, MD and FACS

The use and abuse of both prescription and illicit drugs has increased dramatically in recent years and is a major public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids, both prescription and heroin, has quadrupled since 1999. Coinciding with this increase, the sale of prescription opioids nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2016.

A most alarming result of these practices is the increased accessibility of addictive opioids. In Florida, 5,723 opioid related deaths occurred in 2016, a 35% spike since 2015 including 582 deaths in Broward County. Commissioner Sharief recently hosted a countywide Opioid Epidemic Town Hall Meeting to bring all parties together to solve this challenge and has been aggressive in her effort to receive federal help to sufficiently solve the opioid epidemic. Dr. Steven I. Kaltman, Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dean of Hospital Affairs at NSU and Vice Chief of Surgery at Memorial Regional Hospital has testified and lectures on the opioid epidemic to the medical community.
Managing this crisis and mitigating its impact requires a collaborative effort among health care providers, insurers, consumers, and all levels of government. Together, Commissioner Sharief and Dr. Steven I. Kaltman, will present a symposium with the latest clinical and legislative actions and how we can work together to solve this public health crisis.