Registration is open for the Different Faces of Substance Abuse Conference that will occur Jan. 18-19 at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa in Lexington.

The conference seeks to build collaborations and partnerships between individuals and agencies who deal with issues related to prescription drug abuse and provide community education materials.

It is sponsored by the University of Kentucky’s colleges of agriculture, social workand pharmacy, the Lexington Mayor’s Alliance on Substance Abuse, Fayette County Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, Kentucky Division of Behavioral Health and the Ohio County Assets for Youth.

The conference begins with registration at 10 a.m. Jan. 18. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until noon. Presentations begin at noon. Speakers include Demetria Antimisaris, assistant professor in the University of Louisville School of Medicine; Dave Hopkins, program manager for Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting in the Office of the Inspector General; Van Ingram, executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and Jared Combs, pharmacist clinical staff at UK HealthCare.

The second day begins with a continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. From 8:30 until 10:15 a.m. conference participants can attend two of eight breakout sessions. The sessions include topics on overcoming addiction and obstacles to treatment, the take-back program, creating a local drug-free alliance, UK Cooperative Extension Servicesubstance abuse prevention programs, creating a youth program, a law enforcement perspective, a regional initiative aimed at reducing and preventing prescription drug abuse in youth, and unique characteristics of prescription drug abuse and ways to target them.

At 10:30 a.m., Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will speak. Lon Hays, chair of theUK Department of Psychiatry, will speak at 11:30 a.m.  

Continuing education units are available for educators, social workers, county extension personnel, vocational educators and mental behavioral health specialists.

Space is limited to the first 250 participants and is quickly filling up. Registration forms, exhibitor forms and hotel information are available on the conference’s website http://www.facesofdrugabuse.net/. Conference information also is available on Facebook under The Different Faces of Substance Abuse and through Twitter@FacesDrugAbuse.