The 2019 Mayors’ All4Knox Summit on Substance Misuse will be held 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 at the University of Tennessee Student Union, 1502 Cumberland Ave., followed by a networking lunch. 

The event is free, and advance registration by July 26, 2019 is requested. Registration and more information can be found at All4Knox.org. Breakfast and check-in will be provided 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. the morning of the event.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, along with the Knox County Health Department, Metro Drug Coalition and the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, invite community members and organizations with an interest in substance misuse, including opioids, to participate in the event.

The Mayors’ All4Knox Summit is held in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 360 Strategy Knoxville and the University of Tennessee System.

The Summit will include remarks from Mayor Jacobs and Mayor Rogero, a presentation on “The Science of Addiction” by Dr. Stephen Loyd, the Medical Director at JourneyPure, and key data and background from local officials.

Keynote speaker Heather Starbuck of the Matt Adams Foundation will share her journey and address issues of stigma as related to addiction. Starbuck helped create the foundation in memory of her fiancé who passed away as a result of an opioid overdose.

In October 2018, the Mayors brought together community leaders to discuss and inventory ongoing efforts related to substance misuse in the community. The event also identified gaps that need to be filled. 

The Aug. 2 event follows up on the October 2018 meeting and provides the framework for developing a community-wide strategic plan. 

The strategic plan will address community goals by sector, as follows: business, education, faith, family / community, government, healthcare, justice systems, non-profit / service and treatment / recovery / harm reduction. Participants may sign up for a sector when they register online or in person at the Aug. 2 event.

Free parking is available at the University of Tennessee in the G-10 parking garage, 1500 Phillip Fulmer Way, between Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium.

As part of the partnership with All4Knox, the University of Tennessee System is coordinating the Summit for Opioid and Addiction Response (SOAR) on Aug. 1. 

SOAR will bring together stakeholders of all backgrounds and areas from across the state to talk about the opioid-driven addiction and suicide problem in Tennessee and identify solutions that can be used across the state. 

Aug. 1 (day one) is hosted by the University of Tennessee System. The local Knox County-focused All4Knox Summit will be on Aug. 2 (day two). The public is encouraged to attend both events. Both summits will complement each other but can also stand alone.

For more information and a detailed agenda, see All4Knox.org.