Recent News
Increased use of fentanyl largest contributor to rise in KY death toll
2021 Kentucky Drug Overdose Report Now Available FRANKFORT, Ky. – Today, the Commonwealth of Kentucky released the 2021 Drug Overdose Report which indicates that 2,250 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021, a 14.5% increase compared with the year prior. More...
UNITE welcomes six interns for summer of 2022
Six interns will be assisting with Operation UNITE’s summer youth prevention programs in 2022.Funded through a Kentucky AmeriCorps grant, the interns will primarily be helping coordinate the five regional Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball camps with Jarrod Polson in...
UNITE offering 5 free regional basketball skills camps with Jarrod Polson
Operation UNITE is offering five regional Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball skills camps across southern and eastern Kentucky this summer.All school-aged youth are invited to participate in these free camps, which last from 4 pm to 7 pm. Camps will be...
21 students awarded ‘I Am UNITE’ scholarships
Twenty-one high school seniors in the Class of 2022 have been selected to receive “I Am UNITE” scholarships totaling $31,500 for being champions for anti-drug efforts in their schools and communities.“These scholarships honor youth – whom we call UNITE Ambassadors –...
Dr. Al Mooney to headline Appalachian Gathering
Parts of Appalachia have been called the epicenter of the American drug problem. In 2018, drug overdose mortality rates in Appalachia were 48% higher than the national average. The COVID-19 pandemic brought an increased mortality from substance use disorders for...
Federal funding secured to combat skyrocketing overdose rates
Congress has passed a comprehensive bipartisan federal funding package for the remainder of 2022 that contains critical funding for programs across the country. The legislation includes programs that Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) advocated for to save lives and...
Rx Summit 2022 returns in-person for the first time since 2019
As part of ongoing efforts to address the opioid and addiction crises – a national issue that impacts every community in every state - the 11th annual Rx Summit will be held in person April 18-21 in Atlanta.The Rx Summit is a global community of stakeholders who come...
Cadets learn connection between basketball and life
FORT KNOX – Cadets from the Kentucky National Guard’s Bluegrass ChalleNGe Academy spent several hours learning the basics of dribbling, passing and shooting basketballs from former University of Kentucky point guard Jarrod Polson during Operation UNITE’s Shoot Hoops...
Sports balls donated for children of Eastern Kentucky
Dr. Carl Backer, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at UK Children’s Hospital, presents one of a hundred sports balls to UNITE Youth Programs manager Carl Varney. Also representing UNITE were, from left, Executive Assistant Lynnell Fields, Region 3 Coalition...