The City’s Community Services Division, in partnership with the Montgomery County Goes Purple Initiative, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and Montgomery County Public Schools, is hosting a parent & community talk focused on opioid prevention on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 6 p.m. at Gaithersburg High School, 101 Education Boulevard. The community talk will be led by Tony Hoffman, former professional BMX racer, U.S. Olympic coach, and person in long-term recovery. Hoffman has dedicated his life to bringing awareness around the country, describing how dangerous prescription pill and heroin abuse is and advocating for a shift in thinking towards current addiction-recovery processes. He will speak on teen mental health and substance use connections and resilience.
The event will also include the Community Opioid Prevention Education (COPE) Trailerand youth enrichment and support information through Identity, Inc. and the City. Interpretation support will be available in Spanish. Register for the free event here. In conjunction with the parent & community event, Hoffman will lead assemblies for middle and high school students throughout the week of March 6. A special session will also take place at The Landing, an adolescent recovery program located in Gaithersburg.