BALTIMORE, MD. (May 16, 2018) – The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI), a diverse alliance of community leaders, health care stakeholders and business representatives, announced today that Southern Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. Donte L. Hickman, Sr., has joined the alliance to help raise awareness about effective prevention and treatment options to address opioid addiction.
RALI will be on hand during a three-day Community Health and Revitalization conference hosted by the church to provide information on safe disposal of prescription medications.
“Southern Baptist is pleased to join RALI Maryland to help raise awareness about opioid addiction, prevention and treatment in Maryland,” said Dr. Hickman, Pastor of Southern Baptist Church. “As we seek to help our congregation in their pursuit of spiritual, physical and financial health, we know that the proper disposal of prescription drugs is one of the ways to help prevent opioid addiction in the first place.”
Southern Baptist Church’s health conference, New Wine Outpouring 2018: Serving, Aspiring, Loving, Transforming (SALT) will bring faith leaders from Texas and Virginia, and musical guests together on May 15, 16, and 17 at 7PM each evening at its Baltimore location. In addition, on Friday, May 18 at 7PM, Southern Baptist is hosting a town hall symposium on community health and revitalization in East Baltimore. Southern Baptist also has ministries in Harford and Howard County.
RALI Maryland consists of more than a dozen local, state and national organizations that have come together to find solutions to end the opioid crisis in Maryland. The group and its partners will highlight programs that help save lives, mobilize stakeholders to educate and partner with policymakers, provide readily-available informational resources for residents and share the stories of those on the frontlines of the crisis.
RALI Maryland’s website, RALImd.org, will serve as a hub for information and resources about the initiative, its featured programs and addiction and substance use disorders.
In 2016, more than 2,000 Maryland residents lost their lives to drug overdoses – a 59 percent increase in overdose deaths from 2015. Research shows that about 60 percent of people who have abused prescription medications got the drugs from a home medicine cabinet. Maryland has implemented a comprehensive response to the crisis with a series of executive actions and new programs to help residents and community leaders address addiction.
For more information about RALI Maryland, visit RALImd.org.
ABOUT RALI Maryland:
RALI Maryland is an alliance of more than a dozen local, state and national organizations committed to finding solutions to end the opioid crisis in Maryland. Members of the coalition include:
• Cecil County Community Drug Coalition
• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
• Maryland Chamber of Commerce
• Maryland Fraternal Order of Police
• Maryland Pharmacists Association
• Maryland Realtors
• Maryland Rural Health Association
• Maryland State Grange
• MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society
• National Black Nurses Association
• National Consumers League
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
• Professional Firefighters of Maryland
• Southern Baptist Church
• Veterans Health Council
• Vets Against Drugs
• Vietnam Veterans of America
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