Clinicians, experts to team up for addiction forum April 6

Connecticut has seen a continued rise in opioid-related addiction among women, with more than 420 women dying of drug overdoses in 2015 and 2016.

To address the crisis and stir community discussion about prevention, intervention and treatment, the Conn. Health I-Team, in collaboration with Wheeler Clinic, will host a free community forum, “Working Women: The New Face of Addiction,” from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on April 6 at the New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., New Britain. The event is open to the public.

Nationally in 2015, 1.2 million women — 3,300 per day — started taking opioids, a rate 25 percent higher than men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioids are a class of drugs that includes the illegal drug heroin, as well as powerful prescription pain relievers.

Women are more likely than men to have chronic pain and be prescribed opioid pain relievers, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. They also are more likely to be given higher doses, use them for longer periods of time, and become dependent on them more quickly than men, according to the society.

“The forum is an opportunity for the community to engage in meaningful dialogue about women and addiction and the unique issues associated with the epidemic,” said Jessica Smith, senior director of adult outpatient services at Wheeler Clinic and one of the event’s panelists.