NATCHEZ — Residents will soon gather to tackle a nationwide crisis that also has a large impact in Natchez-Adams County: the opioid epidemic.

On June 19, the City of Natchez will host a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers so citizens can have the opportunity to become informed about the drug crisis that has gripped the nation.

“Primarily, the benefit of this entire town hall is to let the public know that there’s help out there for individuals who may be addicted to opioids; who may need help,” Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said.

Stand Up, Mississippi will put on the town hall meeting along with presenters from the departments of mental health, public safety and human services, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the FBI, the DEA and the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy. The evening will involve a breakdown of how the epidemic has affected both Mississippi and the United States as a whole, a presentation of treatment options and grant opportunities for people seeking help, and finally an open-ended Q&A session, said Angela Mallette, opiod grant coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

“The bulk of the evening, we want to be interactive with your community,” Mallette said.

Stand Up, Mississippi has held similar town hall meetings across the state, including Hazlehurst, Lucedale and Clarksdale within the last month.

Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Irving called for this town hall meeting back in December, and she hopes the June 19 gathering will benefit the community in a number of ways.

Data that Irving presented in December showed an average of 1.2 prescriptions written for every Adams County resident, with other parts of Mississippi showing even more drastic figures.

Overall, prescription drug abuse has increased by 400 percent in the last decade, Stand Up, Mississippi officials report.