Surgeon General, former state commissioner, heads to Purdue

(U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — The federal government’s top doctor is making a stop at Purdue University to discuss the nation’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams was appointed to that post in 2017 by President Donald Trump after serving as Indiana’s state health commissioner.

During Monday’s visit to Purdue, Adams will deliver a speech titled “The Road to Recovery: Combating the Opioid Crisis” and participate in a question and answer session with students.

The Journal & Courier reports that Adams’ visit will come the same day Purdue unveils a new “Hope Stems” art exhibit focused on how opioid use damages the brain that will feature a brain-shaped sculpture.

State health officials say Indiana had 1,800 drug overdose deaths in 2017, with nearly two-thirds of those deaths involving opioids.