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Attorney General Jeff Sessions attends Auburn football game

Auburn President Steven Leath gifted him an honorary No. 84 Auburn jersey marking his tenure as the 84th attorney general of the United States

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions attends the Auburn vs. Arkansas football game on Sept. 22, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions attends the Auburn vs. Arkansas football game on Sept. 22, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator and University of Alabama Law School alum, attended the Auburn vs. Arkansas game Saturday evening. Auburn President Steven Leath gifted him an honorary No. 84 Auburn jersey. 

Sessions, who wore an Auburn orange shirt at the game, is the 84th United States attorney general.

Sessions' attendance at Saturday's football game comes after the attorney general visited Auburn's campus Friday to examine two University initiatives to combat the opioid crisis and enhance law enforcement efforts nationwide through the training of the world's most advanced detector dogs.

Sessions toured the Harrison School of Pharmacy Friday morning. 

The School of Pharmacy using research, teaching and outreach programs spanning detection, prevention, treatment and emergency response to combat the opioid epidemic, which claimed nearly 50,000 lives last year.

“We’ve got to confront the opioid crisis,” Sessions said at Auburn. “It’s the number one surge in deaths in America. Opioids alone are responsible for the declining life expectancy of Americans. The deaths we’re seeing – it’s that large. So, we need lifespans going up, not down. And you’re right here on the cutting edge of many of the key things that can help us reduce that threat to America.”

The School of Pharmacy's forensic chemistry program works with the Department of Justice to ensure law enforcement can anticipate and detect new drugs that are being abused. 

The school developed a naloxone rapid response program. Naloxone, which is also known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid overdose reversal medication used by law enforcement and medical professionals to quickly respond to overdoses.

Sessions also visited Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine to observe the Canine Performance Sciences program, which is internationally known as a leading provider of canine detection technology. 

“It’s classic of Auburn’s practical contribution to making this a better world,” Sessions said after examining the canine program. “We need to protect this country from terrorist attacks.  How do you do it? One of the best systems whatsoever is these fabulous dogs. They’re training them. They’re raising them. They’re breeding them. They are the best dogs in the world.”

The Auburn-led program has advanced canine sensor capabilities for the prevention of chemical, biological and explosive threats to public safety and national security. 

The program recently began using MRI scanning to study dogs’ brain activity through a non-invasive method to potentially pinpoint — prior to expensive and timely training — whether dogs can become effective detectors.

Auburn received a patent in 2015 for its Vapor Wake technology that applies the physics of fluid dynamics in which people in motion leave an aerodynamic plume in their wake.

Vapor Wake dogs, according to the University, can detect hand-carried and body-worn explosives in persons and follow the plume of vapor and chemical particulates entrained in the person’s wake until the target is identified.

The dogs received extensive training for 15 to 18 months. Typical explosive detection dogs receive only two to four months of training.

Auburn University President Steven Leath said he looked forward to continued collaboration on such areas of vital national importance.

“We’re pleased to show the Attorney General how Auburn is leading the way on key initiatives that protect the public,” Leath said. “Teaming with government leaders, we are advancing research toward life-saving solutions that include a focus on the national opioid epidemic and making our public spaces safer with the world’s most advanced canine mobile detection system.”

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Chip Brownlee | Editor-in-chief

Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.


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