ADDRESSING A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS: OPIOID USE AND ADDICTION

Chief Ronald J. Madigan and members of the Swampscott Police Department along with members of the Swampscott Overdose Response Team, Swampscott Public Schools, Essex County District Attorney’s Office; and, other community members invite you to attend the showing of a short film If Only which will be shown at the Swampscott High School, 200 Essex Street, Swampscott, MA, on March 9, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

The film is being presented by the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and was produced by the Executive Director, James Wahlberg. The film was created to increase awareness of youth prescription drug abuse and opioid addiction. The movie is intended to encourage a productive dialogue about this epidemic that has been plaguing our society and to end the stigma associated with it.

The film will be followed by an interactive discussion about drug use and addiction featuring a panel of local experts, persons in recovery, a licensed physician, and family members who have lost a loved one. The discussion will also provide information on where to find a detox or inpatient facility and where people can turn to for help before or afterwards. Questions will also be taken from the audience and treatment providers and programs will also be on hand to provide information and handouts.

Swampscott Police Chief, Ronald Madigan has reported that in Swampscott, there have been 42 overdoses from January l, 2015 to December 7, 2016. He said there has been an 19 percent increase in overdoses from 2015 to 2016 with 17 overdoses in 2015 to 25 overdoses in 2016. Swampscott has had 8 fatal overdoses during this time frame which results in a 25 percent increase in fatal overdoses over the past year.

Chief Madigan said that his department started an Overdose Response Team in 2016 which consists of himself along with Detective Rose Cheever; Officer Brendan Reen; Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis; Board of Health Director Jeffrey Vaughn; Middle School Nurse Marianne Hartmann; Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA Executive Director, Gerald MacKillop; Selectman Naomi Dreeben; Interim Town Administrator and DPW Director Gino Cresta;  Dr. Jeffrey Gold; Chief Kevin Breen of the Swampscott Fire Department; Deputy Chief, James Potts of the Swampscott Fire Department; Director of Operations for Atlantic Ambulance (Cataldo Ambulance) Dan Hoffenberg; Harm Reduction Specialist from Healthy Streets Outreach Program Mary Wheeler; and, Parent Peer Support Specialist, Catherine See.

Chief Madigan said, “We would like to start a conversation to help break the stigma associated with drug use and addiction”. He said, “This is a Swampscott problem and it is happening here and we are not immune to it.”

Swampscott Police Officer Brendan Reen and Detective Cheever along with Mary Wheeler, a Harm Reduction Specialist from Health Streets in Lynn, have been going to residences after an overdose conducting “door knocks” as they call them to follow up with the families afterwards. “It is not an easy phone call to make when a loved one needs help. We are trying to make that easier for people”, said Chief Madigan.