Public Health And Wellness And Louisville Free Public Library Offer Course On Heroin Use Prevention

Photo: Louisville Free Public Library

Have you ever worried about your child and drugs? Have you wondered what you can do to stop this problem before it starts? Are you worried that someone you love may be using drugs?

The Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the Louisville Free Public Library will offer a course Heroin Hurts Louisville: What We Can Do to help parents, grandparents and caregivers with valuable insights as to why adolescents use drugs, how to start the dialogue about the dangers of substance abuse, and how to act quickly if someone they love is at risk of using. The 90-minute class is free. Registration is required. Phone 574-1623 to register.

Initially, two dates have been scheduled for this class. The first is Tuesday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library at 301 York St.  If people aren’t able to attend the July class they can sign up for the class to be held on Saturday, August 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the Southwest Regional Library at 9725 Dixie Highway. The course is taught by a certified drug and alcohol counselor.  It includes educational information, video testimonies from young people and facilitated discussion. Participants will receive a toolkit with information and available resources

“In Louisville, 285 of our neighbors, friends and family members died of a drug overdose in 2016,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental deaths in Louisville and all of Kentucky. These classes represent one step in helping us understand and prevent opioid abuse in our community.”

“Many of our initiatives to battle the opioid epidemic in Louisville have, by necessity, been reacting to the needs of people suffering from the disease of addiction, and protecting our community from infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C,” said Public Health and Wellness Medical Director Dr. Sarah Moyer.  “But it’s also important that we take proactive steps to prevent substance abuse in the first place. These classes are a first step.  If we get a good response, we expect to add more classes at more locations.”

“We are very happy to be able to provide a place for these important classes,” said James Blanton, Director of the Louisville Free Public Library. “We hope that these classes are well-received and that we are able to hold similar classes in other library locations.”