Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Across Tennessee (CADCAT) to Host Public Forum on Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Across Tennessee (CADCAT) to Host Public Forum on Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery

-- Highlights of HBO ADDICTION documentary and expert panel underscore growing local public health threat of addiction, hope offered by effective medical treatments for long-term recovery --

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with addiction. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Across Tennessee (CADCAT) is hosting a public forum to increase understanding about the local impact of this devastating brain disease as well as local resources for treatment and long-term recovery. CADCAT invites you to attend a screening of highlights from HBO's multi-media documentary ADDICTION:

April 30, Noon to 1:30 P.M.
Legislative Plaza, Room 12/14, Nashville

The event will also include a panel discussion with national policy leaders and local medical experts featuring:

Major General Arthur T. Dean, U.S. Army (Retired) and Chairman & CEO Community

Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

Representative Pat George, Kansas State Legislature

Richard Soper, MD, JD, MS and President of Tennessee Society
of Addiction Medicine

CADCAT is sponsoring this event in conjunction with national patient advocacy groups in the hope of educating residents of Tennessee both to the terrible toll that addiction takes locally, as well as to the medical help and psychosocial support that are available to bring Tennessee patients into treatment for long-term recovery. The media is cordially invited to attend the screening and to give a local voice to the problem of addiction -- continuing the positive trend set by CADCAT and the HBO documentary. Panelists, addiction experts, patients and others whose lives have been affected by addiction will be available for interviews during the event and the months following.

The ADDICTION documentary spotlights abuse of a range of substances, including dependence on opioids (prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone and morphine as well as heroin). According to the Tennessee Medical Examiner, 401 deaths were directly linked to prescription painkillers in 2005 -- just 31 fewer cases than the number of murders reported for the state during that year. Local problems with opioids reflect the national data on this growing public health problem -- the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that approximately 4.7 million Americans currently misuse prescription pain relievers, second only to marijuana use. One medical treatment for opioid dependence that can be prescribed in a private doctor's office -- buprenorphine -- is highlighted in HBO's documentary.

Resources for Opioid Dependence and Its Treatment

Individuals who need more information about opioid dependence and its treatment, either for themselves or for someone they are concerned about, have several options. Free educational Resource Kits on this topic can be obtained from turntohelp.com or by calling 1-866-455-TURN, both provided by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals. Turntohelp.com also offers a physician locator to help individuals find an area doctor available to prescribe buprenorphine. Additionally, the non-profit patient advocacy group NAABT -- National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment -- offers a nationwide confidential matching service to pair individuals seeking buprenorphine treatment with available doctors; visit naabt.org.

Reckitt Benckiser is a co-sponsor of the CADCAT public forum and will be available at the event to answer questions from the media and the public.

About Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company that markets Suboxone(R) (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate [2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex(R) (buprenorphine HCl [2 mg and 8 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets, formulations of buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence in a medical office-based setting. Suboxone and Subutex, manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare Ltd., are the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for office-based treatment of opioid dependence. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is committed to expanding access to medical therapies for patients suffering from the chronic, relapsing brain disease of opioid dependence. For more information, visit suboxone.com or opioiddependence.com. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser PLC, a publicly traded UK firm.

Important Safety Information

Intravenous use of buprenorphine, usually in combination with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants has been associated with significant respiratory depression and death. Suboxone(R) and Subutex(R) have potential for abuse and produces dependence of the opioid type with a milder withdrawal syndrome than full agonists. Cytolytic hepatitis and hepatitis with jaundice have been observed in the addicted population receiving buprenorphine. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Suboxone or Subutex (a pregnancy category C medication) in pregnancy. Due caution should be exercised when driving cars or operating machinery. The most commonly reported adverse events with Suboxone have included headache (36%, placebo 22%), withdrawal syndrome (25%, placebo 37%), pain (22%, placebo 19%), nausea (15%, placebo 11%), insomnia (14%, placebo 16%), sweating (14%, placebo 10%). See full prescribing information for complete information at suboxone.com.

Suboxone and Subutex are registered trademarks of Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare Ltd.

Contact Information:
Lindsay Treadway
617-761-6738
lindsay.treadway@fkhealth.com
and Pam White of CADCAT
615-227-5250
pamwhiteCADCAT@aol.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

CONTACT: Lindsay Treadway, +1-617-761-6738,
lindsay.treadway@fkhealth.com, for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.; or
Pam White of CADCAT, +1-615-227-5250, pamwhiteCADCAT@aol.com

Web site:

http://www.turntohelp.com/

-------
Profile: intent