U.S. surgeon general talks opioid prescriptions, flu shots during Little Rock talk

In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during a National African American History Month reception hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The nation's chief doctor wants more Americans to start carrying the overdose antidote naloxone in an effort to combat the nation's opioid crisis. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Adams is expected to speak about the public health advisory Thursday, April 5, at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta.
In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during a National African American History Month reception hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The nation's chief doctor wants more Americans to start carrying the overdose antidote naloxone in an effort to combat the nation's opioid crisis. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Adams is expected to speak about the public health advisory Thursday, April 5, at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta.

Arkansas needs to reduce the amount of opioid painkillers its doctors prescribe and increase the number of people who receive flu shots, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said in Little Rock on Thursday.

Adams spoke at the state Department of Health and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences while promoting his advisory urging more people to carry naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Discussing Arkansas’ public health challenges, he noted that the state has one of the highest opioid prescription rates in the country and that the state’s flu season this year has been its deadliest in several years.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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