Verde Valley News – Opioid deaths among older Arizonans have spiked dramatically in the past year. In the interest of building healthier communities and arming citizens with useful information, Yavapai College’s Verde Valley OLLI program will present a FREE discussion on opioids, reducing deaths and the over-the-counter overdose treatment NARCAN on Tuesday, February 13, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus.
MATFORCE and researcher Bernard Plaskett will lead the one-hour discussion. MATFORCE is a local coalition of hundreds of individuals from multiple sectors of the community, working to reduce substance abuse in Yavapai County. Plaskett conducted research and discovered that from 2022 to 2023, Arizona experienced a 600% increase in Opioid deaths among adults ages 45 to 64.
Nikki Rosson, Assistant Director and Program Manager of MATFORCE, will field questions and clear up misconceptions about the variety of factors contributing to this local Opioid epidemic.
The OLLI Brown Bag will take place in room M-137, on Yavapai College’s Verde Valley Campus, 601 Black Hills Drive in Clarkdale. The event is FREE to the public, but space is limited so you must register to save a seat. For registration or more information, please call 928-649-4275 or visit www.yc.edu/ollisv.
OLLI is a local, volunteer, peer-to-peer, adult education program (part of Yavapai College) that offers many learning groups and workshops each term for a nominal fee. OLLI’s winter term is underway, with over 100 classes and workshops available. For more information about OLLI or the Lunch and Learn Programs, please call 928-649-4275 or visit www.yc.edu/ollisv.
