U.S. Attorney to lead forum about heroin and opioid addiction
Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor, Peter F. Neronha, will come to Roger
Williams University on Nov. 3 to moderate a talk about addiction and
prevention during an event co-sponsored by RWU’s School of Justice Studies
BRISTOL, R.I. – U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha will lead a
discussion about heroin and opioid addiction during a forum on Thursday,
Nov. 3, at Roger Williams University in Bristol.
The state’s top federal prosecutor will lead a town-hall style event
co-sponsored by RWU’s School of Justice Studies. The event, the latest in a
series of presentations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will include the
screening of a documentary titled «Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate
Addict.»
Neronha will moderate a panel discussion that will include Dr. Pamela A.
Harrop, president of Medical Associates of Rhode Island; Felicia
Desmarais-Toupin, of the East Bay Center; George O’Toole, of the Anchor
Recovery Community Center; and Kevin Eaton, special agent with the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration. Also expected to participate in the discussion
are members of prevention coalitions and teachers’ assistants from across
the East Bay.
«The key to beginning to address this epidemic is prevention and treatment,»
Neronha said. «Interdiction efforts by law enforcement will always be an
important piece of the puzzle, but if we don’t change our prescribing
practices, if we don’t reach young people, if we don’t increase access to
treatment and make that treatment affordable, we will never make real
progress in this fight.»
Robert W. McKenna, interim dean of the RWU School of Justice Studies, said
the event is free and open to students and members of the East Bay
community. «Opioid and heroin are a serious health, social and criminal
justice issue,» he said. «It is not a problem we can incarcerate our way out
of. So this is an attempt to provide information to truly identify the
problem and to think of alternative solutions.»
The forum, open to the public, will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at RWU’s
Feinstein College of Arts & Sciences, Room 157.
About RWU: With campuses on the coast of Bristol and in the heart of
Providence, R.I., Roger Williams University is a forward-thinking private
university committed to strengthening society through engaged teaching and
learning. At RWU, small classes, direct access to faculty and guaranteed
opportunity for real-world projects ensure that its nearly 4,000
undergraduates – along with hundreds of law students, graduate students and
adult learners – graduate with the ability to think critically along with
the practical skills that today’s employers demand. Roger Williams is
leading the way in American higher education, confronting the most pressing
issues facing students and families – increasing costs, rising debt and job
readiness. Since launching the signature Affordable Excellence initiative in
2011, RWU has held the line on cost, freezing tuition for an unprecedented
five consecutive years and guaranteeing that tuition for continuously
enrolled full-time students