2-Day summit to fight state opioid epidemic

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hosting a 2-day summit starting Thursday morning to tackle the ongoing opioid epidemic in the state.

"Opioids are devastating Washington families and communities, and overwhelming our safety nets," said Ferguson. "This summit will bring together key stakeholders to identify next steps and solutions to this epidemic."

Ferguson will be joined by other prosecutors, law enforcement, and doctors to discuss the issue and share programs and ideas that have worked in other parts of the country.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington is the only Western state that is saw a statistically significant increase in drug overdose death rates between 2014 and 2015.

The summit will also focus on reducing the supply of illegal opioids in Washington state.

The summit is being held at the University of Washington. It's free and open to the public.

To register, click here.