The work we do is urgent. Even one life lost to overdose is too many.

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s recent renewal of the 2017 Opioid Public Health Emergency Declaration affirms what thousands of stakeholders in the fight against opioid misuse understand — this issue has grave consequences impacting every community in the United States.

Operation UNITE partners with HMP Global on the annual Rx and Illicit Drug Summit to bring together stakeholders “from federal to family” for the lifesaving work of combatting the opioid crisis. At Rx Summit, which will be held this year on April 21-24 in Nashville, we focus on prevention, treatment, and recovery, forging solutions and driving meaningful change.

Secretary Kennedy’s emergency declaration is timely — more than 1 million lives have been lost to overdose deaths in the past two decades. 

“Although overdose deaths are starting to decline, opioid-involved overdoses remain the leading cause of drug-related fatalities,” he said in a statement. 

Operation UNITE is elated to see a decline in overdose deaths, but we continue to be concerned about the insufficient focus on prevention efforts to reduce the number of new opioid users, and the resulting effect this has on families and communities.

While data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 25% decrease in overdose deaths in the past year, nearly 150 Americans die each day from overdoses involving synthetic opioids including illegally made fentanyl. Overdose deaths are the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-44.

The work we do is urgent. Even one life lost to overdose is too many.

Operation UNITE

Our mission at Operation UNITE is to prevent substance misuse and facilitate recovery. Tackling substance misuse before it can become a problem is the best way to avoid the financial and human costs associated with treatment and criminal justice impacts.

And although our work is far from over, we are making progress. Through the end of 2024, Operation UNITE has:

• Impacted the lives of more than 815,000 youths through prevention and education programs;
• Facilitated implementation of drug prevention curricula in schools through the UNITE Service Corps (AmeriCorps) program;
• Provided financial assistance to more than 5,500 people to enter a long-term treatment program and nearly 600 people moving into housing;
• Answered more than 28,576 calls from people seeking assistance through the KY HELP Statewide Call Center;
• Responded to more than 25,000 drug tips; and
• Collected and disposed of nearly 59,000 pounds of expired, unused, or unwanted medications.

Rx Summit brings together organizations that are doing similar work throughout the U.S., collaborating with schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, the faith community, and advocates to address the opioid crisis in their own communities. Rx Summit is a powerful forum to share best practices and develop strategies that work.

We also lift up the voices of those in recovery through the Hope Ambassadors program. These men and women come to Rx Summit to publicly tell their stories of addiction and recovery. Our Hope Ambassadors are the “why” behind what we do, human demonstrations that there is hope in times of unimaginable struggle to overcome addiction. 

The work we do at Rx Summit — through sessions, workshops, and networking — is all centered around one goal: to create effective strategies for prevention, treatment, and recovery that will ultimately save lives. Through dedication and collaboration, our community has the power to create more stories of recovery and a stronger sense of hope.

We look forward to the education and collaboration at this year’s event. For more information and to join us in Nashville, visit: hmpglobalevents.com/rx-summit.

Tom Vicini has served as President and CEO of Operation UNITE since October 2023. Operation UNITE is Rx Summit’s educational advisor.