Yates County offers forum on heroin issues

PENN YAN--A Yates County community heroin forum has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Penn Yan Academy auditorium. Sponsored by the Yates Substance Abuse Coalition, the forum will begin at 7 p.m. and will focus on heroin awareness, treatment and prevention.
As heroin use is on the rise throughout the country and within local communities, residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the growing community health issue. The forum is open to invested community members, agencies, youth and parents in an attempt to better understand the problem, with a focus on developing long-term solutions.
The keynote speaker at the community forum is Tony Collins, former Penn Yan graduate and professional football player. Additional local speakers will be featured, including Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike, representatives from the Tully Hill Rehab Center, representatives from the Finger Lakes Addictions Counseling and Referral Agency (FLACRA), Clinical Nurse and Mental Health Specialist Jackie Shrader and parents of addicts. The speakers will address the crowd related to their fields of expertise which tie into the forum's focus on how to treat and prevent heroin from spreading in the community.
For more, call Yates Public Health at 315-536-5160 or visit www.yatescounty.org.