Author to be keynote speaker at substance use summit

COEU d'ALENE — Author Sam Quinones will be the keynote speaker at the Panhandle Health District's annual Substance Use Summit Thursday, June 15, at the Red Lion Templin’s on the River.

“Sam will bring so much knowledge and history on the topic of opioids as our keynote speaker at this year’s summit,” said Kim Young, PHD Health Services Division administrator.

Quinones' latest book is "The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth," released in 2021. The book follows Quinones' 2015 offering, "Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Bloomsbury Press."

Both books are critically acclaimed.

In January 2022, "Least of Us" was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle's Best Nonfiction Book of 2021. "Dreamland" won NBCC's Best Nonfiction Book of 2015.

The summit will also feature healthcare professionals, clinicians, law enforcement, first responders and community experts share the latest about addressing and preventing substance use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between April 2020 and April 2021, an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States — an increase of 28.5% from 78,056 deaths in 2020.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports that in 2021 there were more than 2.6 million opioid prescriptions written in Idaho, with about 5,000 emergency department visits related to non-fatal drug overdose.

“Substance use is a widespread issue that impacts communities across the nation and, unfortunately, Idaho is no exception,” Young said. “Our goal is to address this crisis by providing intervention and prevention education to health care professionals and first responders at the summit."

Quinones will sign books and a copy of "The Least of Us" will be provided, courtesy of PHD.

For information/registration, visit Eventbrite. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.