A panel on the ongoing opioid epidemic was held on Feb. 18 at the Gloucester Woman’s Club with input from three local professionals from law enforcement, mental health and health care.

First to speak was Tammy Oberndorfer, who works in Prevention, Health and Wellness for the Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board.

“Opioids are very easy to become addicted to and it happens to all kinds of people,” she said, adding that “we do feel like we’re starting to get a handle on things.”

Oberndorfer offered advice to those with prescriptions including not to share leftover medication and to lock up any prescriptions with addiction potential.

The CSB has also begun distributing disposal bags for excess prescriptions. Each bag, when pills are inserted and combined with water, has chemicals inside that neutralize the active ingredients in prescribed opioids.

Following Oberndorfer was Steven Hubbard, a narcotics investigator attached to Glouc...