Free webcast Friday morning on opioid addiction

Gov. Peter Shumlin

A live webcast on opioid addiction will be held from 11 a.m. to noon EST Friday at The Pew Charitable Trusts building in Washington, D.C. "Confronting America's Opioid and Heroin Addiction Crisis" will be presented by Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, who "made history—and helped change the national conversation on addiction—when he dedicated his entire 2014 State of the State Address to this topic," Pew says. "He'll discuss his latest proposals to build upon the progress Vermont has made—which includes limiting the availability of opioid pills and promoting the use of naltrexone, a drug that blocks the desired effects individuals seek when using opioids."

Heroin and opioids have become increasingly popular in rural areas, which lack preventive services for addiction, says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rural areas are also ill-prepared for hepatitis C outbreaks from intravenous drug use, says CDC.

Allan Coukell, Pew’s senior director for health programs, will introduce Shumlin "and share details about Pew’s prescription drug abuse project, which works to develop and support policies that will help reduce the inappropriate use of prescription drugs while ensuring that patients with legitimate medical needs have access to effective pain management," Pew says. For more information or to register for the webcast click here.