CHARLOTTE/RALEIGH/GREENSBORO - The United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce the formation of the Federal Opioid Reduction Alliance for North Carolina, a coordinated state-wide effort to address the increasing dangers posed to the residents of North Carolina by heroin and opiate distribution, abuse, and overdose. The Alliance will work together with State and local partners to increase awareness, prevention efforts, and prosecutions related to heroin and other opioids in North Carolina. By implementing the attached Strategic Initiative, the United States Attorneys’ Offices hope to complement existing efforts across the state and enhance the ability of law enforcement to keep our communities safe.
In conjunction with the announcement of the Alliance, the United States Attorneys’ Offices will hold several events in observance of Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, September 18-24, 2016.
Within the Western District:
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Sept. 19, 2016 - “We Are a Community United Against Heroin," is a daylong heroin and opiate addiction awareness summit hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in partnership with the DEA, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Indian Police Department, on the rising of prescription opiates and heroin abuse and the epidemic of heroin related overdose deaths on the reservation and surrounding areas in western North Carolina. This summit will educate community members, law enforcement and service providers about opiate and heroin distribution, the physiological effects of the drugs and introduce the community to interventions and best practices that are available within the boundaries of the EBCI and the western North Carolina region.
Within the Eastern District:
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Sept. 20, 2016 - An Executive Session for Law Enforcement to discuss heroin & opioid abuse, distribution, and overdose issues. All Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, and Federal Law Enforcement Agency heads within the Eastern District of North Carolina are welcome to attend.
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Sept. 22, 2016 - A Community Town Hall at the Pullen Park Community Center in Raleigh from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. The opiate crisis we face is not just a crime problem, it is a community public health problem, and we hope you will join us for this important event.
Within the Middle District:
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Sept. 20, 2016 - A Opiate Awareness Meeting at the Wesleyan Academy, Performing Arts Center, 1915 N. Centennial Ave., High Point, NC. The opiate crisis we face is not just a crime problem, it is a community public health problem, and we hope you will join us for this important event.
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Sept. 22, 2016 - An Executive Session for Law Enforcement to discuss heroin & opioid abuse, distribution, and overdose issues. All Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, State and Federal Law Enforcement Agency heads within the Middle District of North Carolina are welcome to attend.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
