By: Kevin Patterson, DDS, MD

The JP Opioid Interaction Awareness Alliance needs your assistance to help drive down opioid interaction deaths and reduce emergency room visits related to opioid misuse and abuse.  As dental healthcare providers, it is incumbent upon us to minimize the risks associated with our care by creating awareness of the detrimental effects of opioids, especially when combined with benzodiazepines. WE can help with this important work by simply playing a round of golf.  If you didn’t know, I sit on the Alliance’s board of directors and am strongly supportive of their work.

The Alliance’s 6^th Annual Save-a-Life Golf Tournament, which will be held on Friday, June 4 at the beautiful Ridge at Castle Pines North, is the group’s annual fundraiser.  Monies raised at the event support the Alliance’s pharmacy-student scholarship program and their efforts to educate the public about the dangers posed by mixing opioids with benzodiazepines.

There are multiple ways to participate― from being a single player to a wide range of golfing and non-golfing sponsorships.  The day includes breakfast, lunch, great prizes and an array of cash prize contests including a $100,000 Shootout and a $2,500 Putting Contest.  For more details and to register visit the Save-a-Life Golf registration website.

For those who can’t attend the event or who just want to play more golf for a good cause, check out the Alliance’s new Save-a-Life from ANYWHERE option.  This new feature of the tournament offers the opportunity for you to play golf at the course of your choice anytime between May 2nd and June 3rd while still supporting the Alliance’s work.  Those who participate in the ANYWHERE option will also be eligible for the prize drawing.  To learn more, visit the Save-a-Life from ANYWHERE page on the golf registration website.

Questions:  Contact tournament chair Suzi Stolte at suzi@jpopioidalliance.org.

Please help me in the battle against prescription drug abuse and enjoy a day playing golf in the great Colorado outdoors.