An Epidemic Wrapped in a Pandemic: The Opioid Epidemic in Gallatin County

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Montana State University will present “An Epidemic Wrapped in a Pandemic: The Opioid Epidemic in Gallatin County” at a May 13 Friday Forum. The event will be delivered online via Zoom from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Join OLLI at MSU for their May Friday Forum to learn about opioid use and abuse. According to the American Medical Association, 35 states have had spikes in opioid-related mortality since the beginning of the pandemic. The CDC reports that in 2017 (most recent estimate), the economic impact of the U.S. opioid epidemic included $471 billion for costs associated with opioid use disorder and another $550 billion for costs related to fatal opioid overdoses.

In Montana, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that ground transporting EMS agencies responded to 836 opioid overdose-related 911 calls in 2021. Of all opioid-related 911 calls, 47.6% occurred in Small Metro Counties (NCHS Urban-Rural classification), including Gallatin County. In Gallatin County, 911 dispatch received 62 calls for overdose in 2019.

Panelists will describe ongoing efforts by local law enforcement to understand better and crackdown on opioid use in our community, the costs and impacts associated with the opioid epidemic, and the public health approach to this growing concern. They will also discuss access to and the effectiveness of available treatments for opioid addiction. Finally, participants will learn what community members can do to help reduce this widespread issue.

Panelists included Brandn Green, principal researcher and co-owner of JG Research and Evaluation in Bozeman; Nate Kamerman, commander for the Missouri River Drug Task Force; Rowen Schuler, clinic manager for Community Medical Services in Montana; and Maureen Ward, injury prevention program manager for the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Participants must register in advance and no later than 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 13. For more information or registration, please visit the OLLI at MSU website at montana.edu/olli/register or call 994-6550. Upon registration confirmation, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions to join the program.

Friday Forums are offered on the second Friday of each month, September through May, by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU. OLLI at MSU is a program of Academic Technology and Outreach (ATO) at Montana State University. ATO works across MSU to support and advance our land-grant mission through unique and innovative opportunities for outreach and engagement.