SALT LAKE CITY – Today, the co-chairs of the Utah Opioid Task Force hosted the 5th Annual Solutions Summit: Instead – Connecting for a Cure. Over 5,000 students, educators, healthcare officials, and community members were in attendance at the event presented by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, DEA 360 Program Director Brian Besser, and others.

The summit, which was held in two parts, focused on combatting the opioid epidemic in the state of Utah.

The morning session was created with the intent to educate high schoolers on the dangers of opioid use and give them real-time resources to stop addiction before it starts. Students enjoyed musical numbers, educational videos, and stories from families who had lost loved ones to the crisis.

The general session, which was held in the afternoon, focused on enabling communication and support across the various communities involved in combating the crisis.

While the co-chairs were pleased with the success of the summit, they stressed the importance of continuing this effort beyond today’s events. “The way we keep the momentum going is by connecting to the communities,” DEA District Agent in Charge for the State of Utah Brian Besser said. “We are wearing our tires out traveling around the state. We spend most of our time finding those who are hardest hit, listening, and learning how we can help."

The Utah Solutions Summit was made possible by the following partnerships: US Senator Mike Lee, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, Utah Opioid Task Force, DEA 360 Strategy, Sutherland Institute, Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition, The 525 Foundations, Salt Lake Chamber, and The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.

More information about the Utah Solutions Summit can be found here. 

Release as prepared by the Utah Attorney General's Office on behalf of the Utah Opioid Task Force co-chairs.