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Attorney General Reyes Challenges Utahns to Take the Safety Pledge in New Initiative to Keep Children Safe Online

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2020

ATTORNEY GENERAL REYES CHALLENGES UTAHNS TO TAKE THE SAFETY PLEDGE IN NEW INITIATIVE TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes is challenging Utahns to join him in a new safety campaign called “The Safety Pledge” to raise awareness of the risks that children face online, and in order to empower the children in their lives to respond to those risks safely. He has recorded a video taking the pledge and is challenging all Utahns from across the state, as well as state and local leaders, regardless of political affiliation, to join him in signing the Safety Pledge. Watch his video here.
 
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is launching the Safety Pledge, a new campaign in cooperation with the White House. This initiative aims to provide free resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help parents, educators and other caregivers work together on protecting children online from exploitation and trafficking.
 
Today, Tuesday, September 29, NCMEC formally launched the Safety Pledge website. The website contains practical toolkits about internet safety. It also contains a Safety Pledge, which individuals can digitally sign and make their formal commitment to safeguarding children online. Attorney General Reyes is asking for individuals across the state to sign NCMEC’s Safety Pledge and join in our collective effort to prevent online child exploitation and trafficking.
 
The Attorney General’s Office invites everyone in the community to join this pledge. Strong participation is essential in order to spread the word about the information on this website that is designed to keep kids safe from the risks they face online. Check out the Attorney General’s Office social media for more about the Safety Pledge. 
 
This morning, NCMEC conducted a webinar that provided training for teachers, parents, and caregivers on ways to protect children online. The program included remarks from senior officials from the White House, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. Watch the webinar, sign the pledge, and learn more at SafetyPledge.org.

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Media Release: AG Reyes brings Utah opioid solutions to the White House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2018

 

UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL BRINGS STATE OPIOID SOLUTIONS TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Policymakers from 40 states and territories gather at the nation’s capitol to discuss best practices in fighting the opioids epidemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes was featured alongside federal leaders to sound an alarm and share tools for combating the opioid epidemic. The conference was hosted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to foster collaboration and discuss best practices in addressing the opioid crisis in neighborhoods, communities, and states. Officials from over forty states, territories and tribes attended the conference.

Attorney General Reyes highlighted what Utah does right – specifically, mobilizing a diverse and talented network of professionals including legislators, state officials, federal partners, educators, religious groups, civic groups, and concerned citizens. “It takes everyone,” said Reyes.  “This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. This is a humanitarian issue. Too many have died in Utah and in America. This is a clear and present danger. This epidemic kills people of every single background. Because of that we need everyone to work together.”

In addition to Attorney General Reyes, the panel included Jim Carroll, the Deputy Director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health at Health and Human Services, Anne Hazlett, Assistant Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture, John Martin, Assistant Administrator for Diversion at the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Andrew Bremberg, Assistant to the President & Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Scott W. Reed, Assistant Attorney General at the forefront of Utah’s opioid battle said, “One of the most important components of recovering from addiction is keeping connected to a supportive community. Likewise, today’s White House summit helps keep federal partners and federal dollars connected to the state and local folks who are in the trenches, working every day to reduce the tragic effects of the opioid crisis. We are grateful to the president and his staff for the opportunity to maintain and strengthen these connections.”

Utah Attorney General Reyes was the single state leader on the panel of federal experts chosen by the Trump Administration to discuss the comprehensive efforts taken in the fight against the opioid crisis.  Those federal efforts include the following:

1) $930 million in State Opioid Response Grants from the Office of Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support community-driven solutions.

2) First Lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” initiative, which has focused on the issues children affected by the crisis face, particularly neonatal concerns and the importance of educating parents on healthy pregnancies.

3) The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) collaborative efforts with state, local, private sector, and non-profits agencies through the prevention program Drug Take Back Day.

4) The ONDCP, Ad Council, and Trump Administration’s partnership for the Youth Opioid Prevention Ad Campaign.

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NOTES:

1. The livestream of the public portion of the conference is archived here.

2. You can access more information on today’s conference on the Utah AG’s website here: https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/wh-opioid-conference/

 

 

AG Reyes leads White House discussion, highlights Utah solutions at Opioids Conference

Today, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes helped lead a discussion with leaders from over forty federal, state, local, and tribal organizations, on the value of partnerships and other tools in combating the opioid crisis in America. You can read the official media release here.  Shout out to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs staff for hosting a very informative, classy, consequential event.

Let’s save some lives.   

LIVE STREAM

Event begins at the 29-minute mark.

Here is the breakdown of comments made in the opening forum (the smaller breakout sessions afterward were not live-streamed).  One of the highlights of the discussion – in our humble opinion – was when AG Reyes highlighted the powerful Utah partnerships that make fighting the opioids crisis a winnable effort. 

Welcome and Introduction from Doug Hoelscher
Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President of the United States
Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Panel Discussion Introduction by Katie Talento
Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General
Jim Carroll, Deputy Director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Anne Hazlett, Assistant Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health, Health and Human Services
Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General, Follow-up comments
Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health, Follow-up comments

If you would like to get involved in the fight to free your family and community from the opioid epidemic, please contact our office


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In related news, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6, the Support for Patients and Communities Act while we were meeting today. You can read up on the bill here. Another step in the right direction.

We can win this.