*Press Release from the  Orange County Government 

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Thursday, August 17, 2017, that he will be sponsoring two countywide forums on the heroin epidemic that is currently gripping this area and the rest of the country. The events, entitled The Opioid Crisis: A Public Forum on Education, Treatment, and Law Enforcement, will center on District Attorney Hoovler’s Connect 2 Disconnect opiate-awareness campaign. The forums will include presentations from the District Attorney; Orange County Sheriff Carl DuBois; Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus; Orange County Court Judge Robert Freehill; Darcie Miller, Orange County Commissioner of Social Services and Mental Health; and James Conklin, Executive Director of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County. The forums will take place at 6:30 p.m., on the following dates and at the following locations:

October 3, 2017 Monroe-Woodbury High School

October 19, 2017 Minisink Valley High School

The forums are expected to take approximately an hour and a half, and will bring together law enforcement, county government, drug-abuse educators, treatment providers, and the segment of the judiciary that deals with drug issues. The forums will provide valuable information to parents, to children, and to educators and other professionals about the scope of the heroin epidemic in our area, the dangers of heroin use, the signs that a loved one might be addicted to heroin, the strategies for dealing with heroin addiction, treatment alternatives, and the legal implications of possessing heroin. The forums are open to everyone, at either location, and all are encouraged to attend.

“The opiate crisis is the greatest challenge we face,” said District Attorney Hoovler, “and defeating this epidemic will require the concerted efforts of many. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly apparent that we must attack the epidemic on multiple fronts, that education,

treatment, and law enforcement in isolation from each other will not be enough. I, Sheriff DuBois, County Executive Neuhaus, and all of County government are committed to fighting the war against opiates on all of those fronts. We are committed to educating people to stay off drugs, and to getting people who are addicted to drugs the treatment that they need. And we are committed to taking down drug dealers, so that they cannot addict our citizens or destroy our communities. These forums support the education and treatment aspects of our battle against opiates. I invite everyone to attend and to pass the invitation along to others in their communities, so that as many of our citizens as possible might take home this valuable information.”

For further information about the forums, you may contact Robert Conflitti, Counsel to the District Attorney, or Assistant District Attorney Anthony Curti, at (845) 615-3640, or by email to DACommunityAffairs@orangecountygov.com.