BUTLER TWP — County leaders hope to address the growing heroin and opioid addiction epidemic running through the state with a forum Thursday evening.

The forum — Resilience and Hope: We Will Survive! The Heroin/Opioid Epidemic in Butler County and Beyond — is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Butler Intermediate High School. It will include information on the county’s death toll, treatment resources available, the physical aspects of addiction and information about what groups are most affected. It is hoped that the event will build greater understanding of the epidemic and bring the community together to address it, according to a memo released by county officials.

“The main goal is education and trying to begin to take away the stigma that’s been associated with this and highlight that it’s an epidemic with a physiological basis,” said Commissioner Leslie Osche.

The event will ask participants to answer three questions for the public: what “basic principles” should guide the county’s response to the crisis, how can community engagement be encouraged, and how can the efforts be sustained over the long term?

“We only stand a chance at winning this war if we first come together as leaders,” the memo reads. It is signed by the county commissioners, Butler County Common Pleas Court President Judge Thomas Doerr, District Attorney Richard Goldinger, Coroner William Young III, Butler Eagle General Manager Ron Vodenichar and Butler Media Group President Vicki Hinterberger.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel, a firefighter with the Harrisville Volunteer Fire Department, said he’s afraid the epidemic has not yet reached its peak. He’s concerned about people accepting the overdose and addiction rates as “the new normal,” and feeling that county government is powerless to address the issue.

“Our community is scared to death. It’s been proven to me over and over,” Boozel said. “They’re scared about this, and they don’t know where to turn for help. They don’t know who’s leading the charge against it.”