Illicit Drug Supply: Fentanyl and Xylazine
Our speaker is Richard Rawson, PhD, Research Professor at the Vermont Center for Behavior and Health at UVM and a Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. This presentation explores current information about fentanyl and xylazine including: drug supply information, pharmacology, clinical effects, medical impacts, harm reduction and treatment information. Considerations for rural populations are also discussed.
Learning objectives:
1. Describe the current status of adulterants fentanyl and xylazine in the drug supply
2. Discuss specific effects of these agents
3. Outline interventions such as harm reduction and drug checking
4. Discuss how adulterants affect members of rural populations
Speaker
Rick Rawson, PhD
Richard Rawson, PhD, is a Research Professor at the Vermont Center for Behavior and Health at UVM and a Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Rawson conducted numerous clinical trials on pharmacological and psychosocial/behavioral addiction treatments for the treatment of individuals with opioid, cocaine, and methamphetamine disorders. He led addiction research and training projects for the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. State Department, exporting science-based knowledge to many parts of the world. He is a member of the Motivational Incentives Policy Group, a volunteer group that is working to reduce obstacles to the use of contingency management for treatment of stimulant use disorder. He currently provides technical assistance to 8 states on the development of treatment services for individuals with stimulant use disorder. Dr. Rawson has published 3 books, 40 book chapters, and over 250 peer-reviewed articles and has conducted many workshops, paper presentations, and training sessions.