MARS — The second installment in Butler County’s opioid forum series will feature experts from the fields of medicine and law enforcement, as well as the stories of recovering addicts told in their own words.

The forum is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in the auditorium of Mars High School.

Butler County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Pfeffer and Dr. David Rottinghaus, the medical director of Butler Health System’s emergency department, will headline the forum’s two main “conversations,” said Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche. She said county officials hoped to continue their push to educate people about addiction, and push back against the stigma that is often associated with addiction.

“I think the public just has to be continually reminded of how fragile we all are, and to understand that there is hope,” she said. “It takes a lot of education to break down the walls and help people understand how anybody can get there, how anybody can find themselves in those shoes.”

Pfeffer, who also participated in the county’s initial forum on Oct. 28, will reprise his role from that event and speak more on the subject of Naloxone — how, when and why police officers use the overdose antidote, and why it’s important for people to familiarize themselves with the signs of addiction and drug overdoses.

A complete report appears in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.