Governor Brian Sandoval will be hosting a two-day drug abuse prevention summit in Las Vegas later this week to explore solutions to curb the growing opioid epidemic in Nevada. As Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray reports, new technology could help with recovery, especially for those living in rural communities.
Mark Disselkoen will be speaking at the summit. He’s with the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologiesand says there are several apps on the market geared toward substance abuse recovery.
“It can help them to keep track of their sobriety date for example," Disselkoen says. "They can download relaxation exercises, things that focus on recovery. It can provide daily inspiration or meditations. There’s even a journal app, where they can journal on their phone, kind of track how they’re feeling throughout the day, whether they’re managing their recovery or there are so risks factors popping up they need to deal with.”
Apps could be one more way that people who are in recovery and living in rural communities can receive support.
“There’s so much stigma and there may be one counselor in town and everybody knows where that counselor’s office is," Disselkoen explains, "so if you go in and get help, everybody’s going to know that person has a problem.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be in Fallon and Reno on Tuesday to discuss the growing opioid epidemic in rural areas.
