**Tomorrow,
Wednesday, November 17**
Media Availability: Educating the Public on Co-sleeping and Dangers of Prescription and Illicit Drugs Surrounding Children
Who: Chief Gerald Smith brings attention to preventing child deaths in Richmond in collaboration with VCU Medical Center in response to a series of child deaths related to co-sleeping and ingestion of illegal drugs.
- Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith
- Lieutenant Erlan Marshall, Youth and Family Crimes
- Dr. Patrick McLaughlin, VCU Medical Center, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
What: VCU Medical expert, RPD Youth and Family Crimes Unit, and Chief of Police discuss the recent rise in sudden unexplained child deaths in our community.
Co-sleeping is defined and demystified with safety recommendations offered with tips and resources for parents to maintain infant and child safety in our community.
When: 10:30
a.m., Tomorrow, November 17, 2021
Comments followed by Q &A
Where: Park365 (outdoors on
the playground)
3600 Saunders Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227
Why: Raise public awareness around the issue of sudden death in children and preventable methods available to parents including an understanding of co-sleeping, and the dangers of prescription and illegal drug use in families.
Richmond Stats:
In
2020 there were five total child deaths in the City of Richmond.
To date in 2021 Richmond has seen 12 child deaths:
- 4 co-sleeping/unsafe sleeping conditions
- 3 pending investigation
- 2 overdose/toxicity
- 2 homicide
- 1 death/emergency medical condition mid-flight
