Local Elected Officials Leading for Addiction Recovery in Communities Across Georgia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
16 December, 2021
Tucker, GA:
The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse is honored to announce the Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery. Local elected officials will combine efforts to make progress addressing addiction and supporting recovery in communities across Georgia. This bi-partisan coalition will address issues, policy, and legislation that will increase the impact of recovery and reduce the effects of substance use disorder, a chronic health condition which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery will host regular meetings with stakeholders, attend site visits, and promote policies which will save lives. The GCSA will serve as the coordinating partner organization to help facilitate and advance the efforts of this bi-partisan statewide effort.
“Communities across Georgia were already struggling with substance use disorder issues prior to COVID-19 and all evidence is showing that the pandemic has increased those struggles exponentially. The bipartisan Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery will listen to people across Georgia, will recognize the strengths that exist in their respective communities and help everyone realize the hope of recovery,” said Neil Campbell, Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.
“The Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery will allow Georgia to meet the moment and focus on holistic, grassroots solutions to the SUD crisis. Addiction is real, but recovery is also very real and Georgia Recovers Together,” said Jeff Breedlove, Chief of Policy and Communications for the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.
“The health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created new barriers for Americans seeking treatment for substance use disorders and mental illness. The worry and additional stress it has caused is creating new challenges for countless people across Georgia. The Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery will identify bipartisan solutions to bolster prevention efforts and expand access to peer-led recovery programs,” said Campbell.
“While we have a vaccine for COVID, we will never have a vaccine for addiction. Recent data shows us that we have no time to waste in the fight against the addiction crisis. The Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery is ready to get to work to end the addiction epidemic and save lives. When local governments support peer led recovery programs, we save tax payer dollars, make communities safer, build a stronger workforce, and restore families,” said Breedlove.
The founding Co-Chairs of the Georgia Communities Working Group on Addiction and Recovery:
Sheriff Lenn Wood – Coweta County
Sheriff Tim Pounds – Douglas County
Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson – DeKalb County
Commissioner Bob Ellis – Fulton County
Commissioner Natalie Hall – Fulton County
Commissioner Lee Morris – Fulton County
Commissioner Cindy Mills – Forsyth County
Commissioner Brandon Garrett – Richmond County
Commissioner Doreen Williams – Rockdale County
Commissioner Tony Tanner – Ware County
Mayor – Elect Lee Kinnamon – Americus
Mayor John Ernst – Brookhaven
Mayor Josh Turner – Cleveland
Mayor-Elect Brandon Hembree – Sugar Hill
Mayor Van Johnson – Savannah
Mayor Blue Cole – Sharpsburg
Mayor-elect Brandon Hembree – Sugar Hill
Mayor Jill Elliot – Talmo
Mayor Frank Auman – Tucker
Mayor – Elect Michael Caldwell – Woodstock
Mayor – Prom Tempore Terry Miller – Douglasville
Councilwoman Nycole Miller – Douglasville
Councilman Marty Robinson – Rockmart
Chief of Police Michael Persley – Albany
Chief of Police Dan Flynn – Marietta
Chief of Police Randy Turner – Rockmart
Chief of Police Mike Broadhead – Statesboro
School Board Member David Breedlove – Walton County
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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Jeff Breedlove
Chief of Policy and Communications
Georgia Council on Substance Abuse
404-615-5735
