“Trapped by Addiction” conference seeks to help those struggling with addiction

Cal State San Bernardino Palm Desert campus hosts conference focusing on helping people struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.

Health professionals, caregivers, educators, and students came together for the 4th annual “Trapped by Addiction” conference Friday morning in Palm Desert.

The event was presented by the non-profit group the Unforgettables Foundation. It is designed for people who want to learn about preventing the death of children with specific problems. In years past, the event has focused on bullying, child abuse, and suicide.

This year leaders chose to train people on identifying and preventing opioid addiction.

“Prescription drugs are leading to the deaths of a lot of children and family members. And we know that kids are vulnerable,” said Tim Evans, CEO/Founder of the Unforgettables Foundation.

Former local congresswoman Mary Bono was a special guest speaker at the conference, Bono says for her, this issue hits close to home.

“This is a very personal issue for me. I’ve been around addiction and alcoholism my entire life. and unfortunately, this opioid abuse epidemic has just gone rampid country-wide, said Bono. “I’m busier than ever trying to help other family members go through it, try to support them, try and give people tools and also still try and impact public policies so we make good choices on the federal level, to help people get into recovery and treat addiction.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die every day from opiate addiction.