Marblehead Fights Back Against Opioid Addiction

MARBLEHEAD, MA – The first step for the Marblehead Opioid Task Force was to start a conversation about opioids. Not a hypothetical conversation, or a conversation about addiction happening in someone else's home, but a conversation among families with tangible steps for what to do if someone is using opioids.

The conversation began after the town screened, "If Only," a film about addiction last month. Director of Public Health Andrew Petty said roughly 180 people were there, and the film succeeded in starting a discussion about addiction. But starting a conversation is just the beginning.

In 2015, there were four overdoses in Marblehead. In 2016, there were 26 overdoses, four of which were confirmed to have been fatal, said Petty. The dramatic spike led to the formation of the Opioid Task Force, also called the Opioid Working Group last spring. The group's members include Petty, the public health nurse, police chief, school superintendent, and more.

"Obviously we are dealing with an issue in town," said Petty. He said one of the factors in the spike of overdoses was likely the increased prevalence of fentanyl, a strong synthetic opioid that heroin is often cut with. The Health Department only gets notified of drug use officially if there is an overdose. An increase in heroin batches cut with fentanyl means there are more reported overdoses.

Fentanyl is so strong, that Narcan now comes in doses double what it used to be. Even with the increased dosage, Petty said fentanyl overdoses often require multiple doses of Narcan.

The Opioid Task Force is looking to conduct more outreach in town, specifically in places where overdoses have already occurred. They're working on what the outreach teams should look like: Whether a police officer should go out with an outreach person.

The teams would likely do on-the-spot Narcan trainings, Petty said. They would also make sure everyone has the resources they need to seek help, including parent talk kits, so parents have the tools they need to communicate with their children.

But young groups (ages 22 to 42) aren't the only ones using opiates. There's also an older group that tends to be retired, ranging from their late 50s to early 70s. In both cases, Petty said the groups often get addicted to prescription opioids before it gets too expensive.

It's a conversation the task force is going to continue to have, and a problem they will continue to work on.

Click here for a list of substance abuse resources.

Image via Vimeo/If Only