SAFE Coalition asks you to join them WEDNESDAY for International Overdose Awareness Day

International Overdose Awareness Day

In addition to our candle light vigil, we will be placing 2,290 purple flags on the Franklin, Wrentham, and Millis town commons. These 2,290 flags represent the number of lives lost on Massachusetts last year to an opioid overdose. Would you like to join us in placing the flags? I would like to volunteer! Copyright (C) 2022 SAFE Coalition. All rights reserved.. Our mailing address is: SAFE Coalition PO Box 434 Franklin, MA 02038-0434

Opioid deaths continue to rise in MA "It’s pretty terrifying"

"THE NUMBER OF OPIOID overdose deaths in Massachusetts rose by 9 percent in 2021, a worrying number in a state that had started seeing some success in addressing the opioid epidemic when COVID-19 hit and reversed that progress. 

“These are sobering and devastating statistics,” said Deirdre Calvert, director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. "

Continue reading the CommonWealth Magazine article

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/drug-addiction/opioid-overdose-deaths-up-by-9-percent-last-year/

"More people died of opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts last year than in any previous year, according to a grim new report out Wednesday that reflects both the mental health toll of the pandemic and the pervasiveness of fentanyl-contaminated drugs.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s twice-yearly opioid report showed that opioid-related deaths surged by 9 percent in 2021, to an all-time high of 2,290 lives lost. That is lower than the 15 percent increase seen nationally. But Massachusetts continues to have a high rate of overdose deaths compared to other states, the 17th highest in 2020, the most recent year for which state-by-state comparisons are available."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/08/metro/opioid-related-overdoses-surged-9-percent-2021-mass/

"However, according to the State data, Franklin's situation was trending in a better direction. Some 7 people lost their lives in 2018 , 5 in 2019,  3 in 2020, and 3 in 2021.

"Today's report underscores the harmful impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and the scourge of fentanyl have had on those struggling with addiction, and we are committed to continuing our work with the Legislature and our colleagues in the addiction and recovery community to boost access to services and treatment," Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement."

Continue reading the Franklin Observer article

https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/82690/mass-opioid-overdose-deaths-reached-new-high-2021?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

At the end of August 2021, there was an event on the Town Common in recognition of the 2104 opioid deaths in MA during 2020. Stay tuned, it is likely there will be a similar event at the end of August 2022.

2104 purple flags on the Town Common to acknowledge the opioid deaths in 2020

"Opioid epidemic grinds on in Mass. at elevated rates"

"AS THE COVID-19 pandemic continues to fill headlines, the opioid epidemic grinds on with few signs of improvement. In this research brief we analyze recent data on opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts, including data from the COVID time period, to help us keep sight of a crisis that continues wreaking havoc on lives to this day.

At the peak of the opioid epidemic in 2016, Massachusetts reached 29.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, more than two times the national rate (for further detail on the causes of this increase, please see our 2018 report Opioid Addiction Is a National Crisis. And It’s Twice as Bad in Massachusetts). While this rate has stopped climbing quite so dramatically, as of 2016 it has held steady at historically high rates, remaining in the high 20s per 100,000 and spiking back up to 30 per 100,000 during the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Fortunately, there are signs that opioid-related overdose deaths may yet decrease in 2021. During a Public Health Council meeting in August, MassDPH presented preliminary data showing that the first six months of 2021 saw an estimated 5 percent decrease in total deaths from the same period in 2020, which would roughly bring Massachusetts back to 2019 levels. "

Continue reading the article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/opioid-epidemic-grinds-on-in-mass-at-elevated-rates/ 

Direct link to report -> https://www.bostonindicators.org/reports/report-website-pages/opioids-2018

"Opioid epidemic grinds on in Mass. at elevated rates"

In the News: Senate Ways and Means endorsed opioid legislation

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A powerful Senate committee on Tuesday endorsed legislation giving those addicted to opioids new access to medically assisted treatment in prisons and creating harm-reduction sites for people to use drugs while advancing several other ideas to curb the deadly scourge. 

The Senate Ways and Means Committee version of the bill in many ways follows the broad contours of legislation (H 4742) that the House passed unanimously last week. The bill would shift pharmacies over to electronic prescriptions, establish a standing order to make overdose-reversing medication available to well-meaning members of the public, and allow patients to fill part of a prescription and then go back to get the rest. 

A Ways and Means poll on the bill closed early afternoon on Tuesday, and the bill was reported favorably, according to an aide."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180717/safe-injection-site-pilot-included-in-senate-opioid-bill

The bill likely would move to conference committee to resolve the differences with the House on a similar measure.

“It's a very sad and tragic set of circumstances”

Four residents overdosed on heroin last week, two of whom died as a result, police said. They fell victim to the opiate epidemic pervading the state and, in recent years, taking lives at skyrocketing rates. 

“It's a very sad and tragic set of circumstances,” said Police Chief Stephan Semerjian. “When you have individuals that suffer years of this battle, it almost becomes a numbers game – how long can you tolerate and live that way before tragedy sets in.” 

Medical confidentiality laws prevent officials from releasing any specific information on the victims or circumstances of the overdose, he said.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151015/NEWS/151017193/1994/NEWS

"Fatal drug overdoses claimed more than a thousand lives in Massachusetts last year"

“The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program helps federal, state, and local authorities to coordinate drug enforcement operations, support prevention efforts and improve public health and safety,” said Botticelli, who served as director of Massachusetts substance abuse services from 2003 to 2012 where he oversaw a pilot program for Quincy police to begin carrying naloxone to treat opioid overdoses. 

The New England HIDTA also will receive $265,000 to advance a range of drug use prevention initiatives and to support HIDTA operations. 

“This federal funding comes at a critical time in Massachusetts and New England’s effort to tame this scourge of heroin and prescription drug abuse," said Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. "Heroin overdoses are taking lives at an unprecedented rate. Stemming this tide will require a comprehensive strategy that teams public health, science, medicine, and law enforcement on the federal, state and local levels to stop addiction before it takes hold and secure treatment when and where its needed most."

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News (subscription maybe required)  http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150817/NEWS/150817153/1994/NEWS

"it takes, on average, eight years to remission"

For an American society that wants a quick fix, there are multiple problems with the opioid epidemic.

A Harvard professor and Massachusetts General Hospital addiction expert spoke Wednesday night about the mechanisms of, and strategies for, combating and de-stigmatizing substance abuse disorders. 

John Kelly, a professor of psychiatry and the director of the hospital's Addiction Recovery Management Service, spoke to the second meeting of the Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment, or SAFE, at Franklin High School.
Kelly said addiction was caused by several factors, including genetic predisposition and exposure to the drug itself. 

"Some ask why people get addicted - the real question is: why we aren't all addicted," he said. "This relates to the genetic component."

Continue reading the article in the MIlford Daily News here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150812/NEWS/150818375/1994/NEWS

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.”

Why do teenagers get involved to help with the opioid epidemic? One can easily understand how the parents get involved. Concern for their children and the children of close friends are good reasons. But teens? What brings them to the issue?

In the case of Ben Waters, he felt he really needed to help. He is working on his Eagle Scout badge and needed a project. This would fit the requirements. But that is too easy an answer. The more he found out about the epidemic, the more he realized he had to help.

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.” Ben and I met recently at Panera Bread to discuss the epidemic and the efforts of the coalition.

Coalition meeting Aug 12, 7:00 PM

Ben had reached out to Jeff Roy offering to help. He went to visit the Norfolk District Attorney’s office and started meeting others involved from the various coalitions that had formed. He heard about a coalition meeting in Needham and went. He was impressed by what he heard from Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. Dr Kelly was the speaker that night at the Needham meeting.

He reached out to Dr Kelly to arrange for him to speak in Franklin. This is what is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Franklin High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM.

He has spent time going door to door, handing out flyers to spread the word. Dr Kelly has information that both parents and kids need to hear. When we got together for this talk, his enthusiasm seemed boundless. All that energy and drive is going to do some good, especially for those in and around the opioid epidemic.

Franklin Community Coalition Event on Wednesday, Aug 12

The next meeting of the coalition is Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Franklin High School, featuring Dr.  View this email in your browser S.A.F.E. Coalition meeting on Wednesday On Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m., Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital, will be the featured speaker at our coalition meeting. His talk will be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience. In addition to Dr, Kelly, the panelists include: Jonathan Cabezas, Director of Services at Number 16 in Wakefield; Brooke, a recovering addict dedicated to helping others; Danny Lynch, CAS, BRI-1, LADC-1, a certfied interventionist and President of Lynch Wellness and Recovery Foundation; Jenn Rowe, Norfolk ADA and Director of Education & Community Programs Click here to view the flyer and Facebook page for this event. Please pass it along and let your friends and family know about this important event. We certainly hope you are able to join us for an informative and robust discussion. Thank you for your continued commitment to this effort and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 12 for our next meeting. Sept 12 Opiate Addiction Awareness Walk in Milford Join the first annual Missin' Matt Walk and walk for a couple of miles, listen, learn and be a part of the solution. This walk is in remembrance of Matthew A. Bertulli, who died on November 3rd, 2012 at the age of 27. His young life was abruptly ended by a heroin overdose. "We walk for Matt, we walk to bring education, we walk to help stop the judgment, we walk to give hope and we walk to help.  Our goal is to make a difference in our community." - Kattie Truit, Matt's mom The walk is on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at Milford Town Park. For more information and registration, click here.   Missin Matt meetings on Wednesdays in Milford Starting in September, the Missin Matt foundation will host a family support group meeting every Wednesday night in the Milford Hospital. The program will feature a 12 step Big Book workshop for those suffering from addiction. Look for further details in an upcoming coalition newsletter. Subscribe to email list Forward this email to a friend Healing Hearts meets on Thursday Healing Hearts has begun meeting on Thursday evenings on the second floor of the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place" for people and families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. For the group's Facebook page, click here. more information, contact Jennifer Knight by clicking here. HOPE meets on Monday Community of HOPE (Healing ourselves, preserving each other) has begun meeting on Monday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 262 Chestnut Street in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place for people and families in crisis. HOPE's mission is a peer led support network for families dealing with addiction and recovery. It is striving to become an official Learn to Cope chapter. Until then, it will adopt the Learn to Cope meeting format and bring resources to the table for families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. The group will meet weekly. At the meeting on Monday, the discussion will begin with comments from Brooke and Ally, two recovering addicts who will share their stories in an effort to help others. Click here to join HOPE's Facebook page. For more information, contact Jim Derick by clicking here.  Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against obioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

In the News: Medway considering joining SAFE, Solar Challenge coming to an end

The Board of Health, which currently has a member belonging to SAFE Community Coalition, hopes to solicit community members to join the coalition, which seeks to solve the statewide heroin epidemic. 

At Monday’s meeting, Board of Health member Jordan Warnick said Rep. Jeff Roy, D-Franklin, asked him to be on the Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment (SAFE) Community Coalition to “help bring Medway into it.” 

“We’re trying to forge a relationship with Franklin,” Warnick said. “Alone, we can’t do it.”

Continue reading about Eco Embrace here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150810/NEWS/150819440/1994/NEWS

Local officials are encouraging town residents to participate in the Franklin Solar Challenge before the program's Sept. 15 deadline. 

Town Councilor Brett Feldman, who coordinates the challenge, said it was based on the state Clean Energy Center's Solarize Massachusetts program, which offers increasing discounts on solar panels as more and more townspeople use them. 

"It's based off that, but we did our own to maintain flexibility," he said, noting that such flexibility allowed the town to run its program over a longer time frame. "It started a year ago, and it will end in September."

Franklin Solar Challenge

Continue reading about Eco Embrace here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150811/NEWS/150819510/1994/NEWS

Franklin TV - It Takes A Village - D. Getchell

You can set your alarm to watch this or set up your VCR/DVR to record and watch this interview.

.........

Steve,

Hoping you might call attention on FM to a cable tv  interview with Derek Getchell from Franklin.  He is a recovering addict, eloquent, charming and humble and  is committed to sharing his story of addiction and his struggle for recovery.  He does not preach, lecture or scold..but understands the agony and has found a way that works for him and may work for others.

He especially would be most grateful if you promote his story - will be aired this coming week on cable tv:  

• Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m
• Wednesday morning at 8:30 am
• Saturday evening at 8:30 pm

Franklin TV will broadcast this on Comcast Channel 8;  Verizon Channel 26

   Thanks Steve -

              Anne Bergen

Franklin TV

   
09:00 AM It Takes A Village: D. Getchell

In the News: Children Center Open House, state funding restored

Dean College Children’s Center, 144 School St., will host an open house from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 4. 

Parents of children 2-6 years old are invited to bring their child to explore and learn about the school. 

Applications will be accepted for five-day morning, two-day morning and three-day morning preschool programs, and the four-day Pre-K program. Preschool begins on Sept. 14.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150805/NEWS/150808259/1994/NEWS

State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said restoring the cuts was driven by a desire to help the state's municipalities. 

"In working closely with local officials, I hear, almost on a daily basis, about town needs," she said. 

One key override, Spilka said, would provide $50,000 for the town's new substance abuse coalition. 

"Substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, is rampant in the state," she said. "I thought it was important."

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150805/NEWS/150808212/1994/NEWS

Addressing an Epidemic: Addiction, Stigma, and Recovery - August 12

Sponsored by S.A.F.E. (Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment), the Community Coalition recently formed in Franklin, this event will feature a talk by Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. 

It will be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience.

Addressing an Epidemic: Addiction, Stigma, and Recovery - August 12

Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Franklin High School Auditorium, 218 Oak St

You can follow the event on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/events/466145200232846/

"Drug Addiction: What parents need to know"

Patricia Byrne is the creator of the blog Heroin. Stop the Silence. Speak the Truth. She has three children including her son, age 29, who is a recovering

Patricia Byrne

heroin addict. 

We have already shared a couple of her writings here. She has written a new post "Drug Addiction: What parents need to know" on another site called "Grown and Flown"

It will be a site you'll want to check out and consider subscribing to. A small window will pop up while you read the article asking you to consider subscribing to receive email updates.

drug paraphernalia 

"When my oldest was about a week old I remember looking down into his beautiful eyes and being struck by an overwhelming sense of fear. Icy terror washed over me as I realized the full weight of my responsibility for this tiny human. How was I going to do this right? What was I going to do wrong? I knew I’d do something wrong, would it scar him for life? I was the one who would have to teach him to navigate a world I was not sure I fully understood myself. 

We are parents. We have all had this moment, and the fear stays with us……forever. These tiny beings may grow taller than us, they may move across the country and have tiny beings of their own someday – but they will always remain our innocent, irreplaceable miracles, and we will always be their parents."

Continue reading Patricia's article here
http://grownandflown.com/drug-addiction-what-parents-need-to-know/ 

In the News: S.A.F.E. coalition meeting, helmet saves boy

The Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment or S.A.F.E coalition will meet at 7 p.m., Aug. 12 at Franklin High School. More than 100 people attended the group’s first meeting, which saw doctors, law enforcement officials and treatment counselors discuss the state’s opioid epidemic. 

The coalition will serve as a local resource for residents searching for information or help - for themselves, family members and friends - as it follows the lead of the 20 other town groups working closely with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office. 

The second meeting will feature Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Kelly, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is expected to cover the genetics of addiction and the need to frame the dialogue on the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis rather than a drug problem.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150730/NEWS/150739295/1994/NEWS

A 3-year-old Franklin boy was taken to a hospital via medical helicopter after a vehicle struck the ride-a-long trailer attached to his father’s bicycle Thursday morning. 

According to police, several frantic callers reported the accident at 6:53 a.m., which occurred at the intersection of Sanford and Village streets. 

The child was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and was in stable condition Thursday afternoon. 

The boy was riding in a trailer attached to the bike of his 33-year-old father’s bicycle, which was traveling north on Sanford Street in the center of the roadway when it was “waiting to make a left hand turn onto Village Street," police said in a press release.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150730/NEWS/150739360/1994/NEWS

Franklin Community Coalition on Opioid Abuse Update

The next meeting of the coalition is Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Franklin High School View this email in your browser Coalition work continues Since our first meeting, a lot has happened. Two support groups have begun meetings in Franklin (see more information below), our board of incorporators has been crafting our next steps, and we are starting the process of developing a web and social media presence. For our next meeting (Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m.), Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital, will be the featured speaker. The two support groups consist of Franklin HOPE (Healing Ourselves, Preserving Each other) which meets on Monday evenings and Healing Hearts which meets on Thursdays. The groups offer support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Both preserve anonymity and create a safe place" for people and families in crisis. In the meantime, we have adopted S.A.F.E. (Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment) as our coalition name. It speaks well to the work we are doing. On the organizational front, we have begun discussing a leadership structure and seeking volunteers to serve as officers in the coalition. In addition, we have formed subcommittees to formulate a community survey, to address our web and social media needs, and to attend meetings (including the DA coalition, the regional CHNA, and Learn to Cope). There has been a great outpouring of support for our efforts. We are trying to line up speakers for future events, so if you have ideas or suggestions, please pass them along. Thank you for your continued commitment to this effort and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 12 for our next meeting. Next Coalition Meeting on August 12 at 7 pm On Wednesday, August 12, S.A.F.E. will feature a talk by Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. His talk will be followed by a panel discussions and questions from the audience. Please let your friends and family know about this important event and be sure to join us for an informative and robust discussion. Click here to view the flyer and Facebook page for this event. Franklin HOPE meets on Monday Franklin HOPE (Healing ourselves, preserving each other) has begun meeting on Monday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 262 Chestnut Street in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place for people and families in crisis. HOPE's mission is a peer led support network for families dealing with addiction and recovery. It is striving to become an official Learn to Cope chapter. Until then, it will adopt the Learn to Cope meeting format and bring resources to the table for families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. The group will meet weekly. At the meeting on Monday, the discussion will begin with comments from Brooke and Ally, two recovering addicts who will share their stories in an effort to help others. For more information, contact Jim Derick by clicking here.  Forward this email to a friend Closer to Home than You Think: A Personal Look Inside The Opiate Epidemic On Wednesday, July 29, the Milford Library is hosting an opiate awareness program featuring Amy Leone, MA, MS, LMHC of Community Impact, Inc. and the Juvenile Advocacy Group (JAG); Mike Rodrigues, Founder of the EVAN Fund; Katie Triutt and Meghan Triutt Giacomuzzi of the Missin' Matt Walk. The Rodrigues family lost Evan Rodrigues, age 19 in 2014 to a heroin overdose. The EVAN Fund honors his life and aims to help other youth and their families be educated about this widespread problem.The Truitt family lost Matt Bertulli, Katie's son and Meghan's brother in 2012, also due to a heroin overdose. They are planning a memorial walk in September, the Missin' Matt Walk to fundraise for families on the road to recovery. Amy Leone is part of the S.A.F.E. coalition and works closely with adolescents and their families to address and cope with addiction, treatment, and recovery. She will also speak about Learn to Cope, a growing  peer-led support network that provides hope and community to families. Milford and Franklin do not currently have chapters. Following the short presentations, there will be time to ask questions and connect.Sponsored by The Milford Regional Medical Center, The Milford Town Library, Community Impact,Inc, and JAG, this event is free and open to the public. We urge you to attend this important forum. Click here to view the event flyer. Healing Hearts meet on Thursday Healing Hearts has begun meeting on Thursday evenings on the second floor of the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place" for people and families in crisis.  The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis.  For more information, contact Jennifer Knight by clicking here. Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against opioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

"addiction is not what we think it is" (video)

In this TED Talk, Johann Hari spends 15 minutes getting to the heart of addiction. He says we are approaching the problem wrong.

"And what I've tried to do now, and I can't tell you I do it consistently and I can't tell you it's easy, is to say to the addicts in my life that I want to deepen the connection with them, to say to them, I love you whether you're using or you're not. I love you, whatever state you're in, and if you need me, I'll come and sit with you because I love you and I don't want you to be alone or to feel alone. 

And I think the core of that message -- you're not alone, we love you -- has to be at every level of how we respond to addicts, socially, politically and individually. For 100 years now, we've been singing war songs about addicts. I think all along we should have been singing love songs to them, because the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection."

Watch and see how Johann got to this point: