DA Hoovler announces part two of substance use summit
Goshen. The event will address the hidden risks of legal substances and the connection to unlawful acts.
Goshen /
| 16 Mar 2025 | 08:10
Alex Graham will be the keynote speaker. (
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Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced that on March 27 the county will hold the second part of the second annual Substance Use Summit addressing the hidden risks of legal substances and the connection to unlawful acts. The event will also be sponsored by the Orange County Department of Mental Health, the Alcohol & Drug Awareness Council of Orange County, and SUNY Orange. The event is separated into a day session, is intended for service providers and an evening session, for law enforcement and community members.
Speaking at the sessions will be Alex Graham, a deputy sheriff in Minnesota who is entering his 10th year of full-time law enforcement experience. He has been a drug recognition expert instructor since 2015 and a DRE instructor and Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) instructor since 2016. Graham started his law enforcement career in Colorado as a deputy sheriff and a police officer before moving to Minnesota in 2016, where he served as a collateral duty to patrol work as the lead DWI training instructor. Graham has two awards from Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, one from the MADD Chapter in Colorado for Outstanding Individual Dedication to DWI Enforcement, and the other from the MN Chapter for Drugged Driving Enforcement. Among other awards and recognitions, Graham is a five-time DWI All Star in Minnesota and has over 540 DWI arrests. He currently serves as a full-time DWI enforcement deputy for the sheriff’s office.
“This continued event series is so important to address the practical risks we see in otherwise legal substances,” said Hoovler. “I am glad to co-sponsor an event like this that brings together law enforcement, service providers and members of our community. We are empowered by information and together can continue the important work of addressing substance abuse issues and the effects on our citizens.”
The summit will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at SUNY Orange’s Kaplan Hall in Newburgh. To register, go to bookeo.com/orangecountymentalhealth. Registration closes March 21.