MADISON – The FBI and the DEA will assist Madison Police Department in presenting an Opioid Summit on March 1.

Bob Jones High School will host the event in Zompa Auditorium from 6 to 8 p.m. Liz Hurley, news anchor with WAFF-TV, will emcee the program.

“The opioid crisis in United States is at epidemic proportions. Opioid addiction is present in the City of Madison, as well as in other parts of North Alabama. We are no different than any other area of the country,” a police spokesperson said.

This summit will assemble subject matter experts from law enforcement, emergency medicine, coroner’s office, mental health and the pharmacy profession to discuss candidly the toll of opioid addiction in our society, including communities in North Alabama.

In addition, the summit will present the FBI- and DEA-sponsored video documentary, “Chasing the Dragon.” The video follows several opioid addicts through their story of how they became addicted and the devastation the drug caused in life — to career, family and friends.

Each registered family at the Opioid Summit will receive a “Chasing the Dragon” DVD to take home.

Admission is free but registration is required. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/chasing-the-dragon-the-life-of-an-opiate-addict-tickets-41874713395.

The session is appropriate for those families with 12-year-olds and older (at least sixth grade). The video contains vulgarity because of the reality of addiction is raw and needs to be told without a filter.

The police department hopes to fill the auditorium with parents, children, teens and young adults and have this difficult conversation between parents and their children. At any age, individuals should share the dangers of drug addiction and the devastation it can cause in someone’s life and their family’s life as well.