Every day, 144 people are killed in the United States from opioid overdoses, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Courts within the criminal justice system are on the frontline of the epidemic, seeing adults with substance use disorders and children in families with opioid addiction.
That's why a conference is being held in Coronado this week to bring awareness of what is going on in the juvenile justice system and how judges can take leadship roles in helping families and children through the court system.
This coming in light of President Donald Trump's announcement Monday calling for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including embracing the death penalty.
The multi-day conference will feature guest speakers discussing current juvenile justice issues, solutions and judiciary actions for future solutions.
The meeting will be an educational opportunity for judges, family law attorneys, probation officers and those interested in the juvenile justice system.
The conference will highlight new programs and current research having to do with the opioid epidemic in connection to the court and justice system.
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There will also be film screenings, topics of technology and teen dating violence, child sex trafficking informational meetings and brain science lectures.
Guests at the conference will include Judge Tony Capizzi of Montgomery County Juvenile Court in Dayton Ohio, Joey Ordunda Hastings, the CEO of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in Reno, Nevada, and others.
The conference will take place at Loews Coronado Bay Resort from March 18-21.
