
Here is a quick reminder about the Franklin Community Coalition meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 30th at 7 pm in the Franklin High School Auditorium.
We are expecting a large group at the meeting, and we have arranged for a number of speakers to address topics surrounding opioid abuse and ways that the coalition can help curb this epidemic. The goal is to jumpstart a community conversation and establish a coalition that will meet on a regular basis and provide consistent programming in this area.
In addition, many of you have already completed the survey included with last week's email. Thank you. Please click
here or on the image to the right to view the document which includes the names and information on the people who have already responded. You can also download a copy that you can print out if you choose. I trust that you will find it valuable to know about some of the folks who will be with you on Tuesday.
If you haven't already submitted your information, and are still interested in adding it, simply click
here to complete a short survey. We will then incorporate your info into the final list.
In the meantime, last week
Governor Charlie Baker released the findings of his Opioid Working Group, a comprehensive report detailing 65 actionable steps to curb the deadly opioid epidemic. You can view the report by clicking here. The findings by the 18-member Working Group include short and long term action items to be implemented between now and the next three years, some requiring legislative action and funding and some will be achieved through partnerships with private industry and federal leaders. The announcement comes just days after the launch of a statewide public service campaign to alert parents about the dangers of prescription opioid misuse by their kids. You can link to the campaign by clicking here. Finally, below I have again included some links to two timely videos on the subject. One is a short film called
If Only which was produced by James Wahlberg and filmed in Tewksbury. It tells the story of two teenagers battling addiction to prescription opiates. One of the boys gets help to beat the addiction, while the other dies of an overdose. The other film is an 87-minute documentary titled
The Other Side of Andover Massachusetts. It's the work of a recent Andover High School graduate who is trying to draw attention to opiate abuse in his community.
I thought the films would be of interest in preparation for our first community conversation on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you then.

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