Former NFL lineman and Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches Interventionist, Randy Grimes will serve as keynote speaker during one of this month\’s Narcotic Overdose Prevention and Education (NOPE) Task Force Vigils. The event will take place on October 24, 2013 at the Grosman Amphitheatre at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL, and will pay tribute to those who have lost their lives due to substance abuse, as well as those currently battling addiction. The vigil will be one of over 55 across the country organized by NOPE to promote awareness regarding the devastating impact of drugs and alcohol in communities all over the country, and the role that the stigma of addiction has played in preventing people from receiving effective, and possibly life-saving treatment. The CDC reported 247 unintentional drug-related deaths in Palm Beach County last year. Grimes and the NOPE Task Force seek to highlight the often-overlooked national prescription drug epidemic which now claims more lives each year than cocaine and heroin combined. 

Now in recovery from a debilitating painkiller addiction resulting from efforts to treat career-related injuries, Grimes understands the impact that addiction can have, as well as the importance of proper professional treatment. For the past several years, he\’s used his inspiring story of recovery to help guide others to treatment through his work at Palm Beach County addiction care organization, Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches. He will be joined at this month\’s vigil by award-winning anchor, Michele Wright and Colonel James Storms of the Palm Beach County Sherriff\’s Office.

For more information, and to locate vigil in your area, please visit nopetaskforce.org or call 561-478-1055.

About the Narcotic Overdose Prevention and Education Task Force

Nope Task Force is a West Palm Beach-based, non-profit 501c-3 organization dedicated to providing drug and alcohol addiction prevention education to schools and community organizations. Their work includes presentations and special events aimed at raising awareness of the often fatal consequences of untreated substance abuse.

About Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches

Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches is a leading South Florida behavioral healthcare organization offering expert, compassionate, cutting-edge treatment to individuals suffering from drug alcohol addiction and mental disorder. Our full continuum of care includes professional intervention, onsite medical detox, innovative and specialized rehab, and aftercare.

Since our inception in 1997, we have become an industry leader in addiction care, featuring our own research department and some of the nation\’s most accomplished doctors and mental health professionals. Our expertise in co-occurring disorders and philosophy of treating the whole patient has allowed us to produce some of the highest success rates in the country.