The 3rd Annual East Tennessee Opioid Conference was held on February 27th at The Venue in Lenoir City. More than 300 area medical professionals and community members attended the conference to learn more about how they can combat the opioid epidemic and address underlying causes.
Attendees heard presentations from physicians and academics associated with Pain Consultants of East Tennessee, The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, Cigna, Cherokee Health Systems, among others.
The focus of the opioid epidemic and the conference itself is evolving over time to focus on the underlying causes of the crisis.
Causes like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are key to understanding who in our population are most vulnerable and likely to become addicted to opioid medications.
“If we can begin to identify who is most susceptible to addiction at an early age, we can equip those people with tools to help them avoid addictive behaviors throughout the rest of their life,” Dr. James Choo said.
In its third year, the conference continues to grow by roughly 50 new attendees each year.
