Free Opioid Film Screening Next Week

SWAMPSCOTT, MA – The Swampscott Police Department, like departments across the nation, is on the front lines of the opioid crisis. They see addiction at its worst: At the point when its become an emergency.

Police Chief Ronald Madigan said that a year ago, being on the fronts lines put the department in a position to recognize the problem, and take the lead on a solution. Swampscott's Opioid Working Group, made up of different representatives from the town, has taken several steps since then to combat the crisis.

The police department and members of the Swampscott Overdose Response Team, Swampscott Public Schools, and the Essex County District Attorney's Office are holding a screening of "If Only," a short film highlighting prescription drug and opioid addiction among young people.

The screening will be held on March 9, at 7 p.m., at Swampscott High School. Detective Rose Cheever and Officer Brendon Reen saw the film, and took the initiative to bring it to town.

"Part of what we want to do is stimulate dialogue in the community," said Madigan. He said they want to make families and residents aware of what resources are available to people struggling with addiction.

There were 42 overdoses in Swampscott from Jan. 1, 2015, to Dec. 7, 2016. Madigan said there's a 19 percent increase from 17 overdoses in 2015 to 25 in 2016. During that time frame, the town had eight fatal overdoses.

"This is a Swampscott problem and it is happening here and we are not immune to it," Madigan said.

The screening is one of many steps for the Swampscott Overdose Response Team. They've already put together a resource guide for addicts and their loved ones, and have launched an outreach program that goes to homes after reported overdoses to give families and addicts information on treatment centers, Narcan training, and doses of Narcan.

Officers and outreach works also provide resources and Narcan trainings to homes that have experienced a crime with an underlying element of drug addiction, and the Swampscott Police Department installed a prescription drug disposal bin for unwanted medications.

Madigan said he wants people suffering from addiction and their families to know that they're not alone in this.

"It's touched many lives," he said. "I can tell you that our detectives for many years have seen this trend and they're aware of young people struggling with addiction in town."

Marblehead held a screening of the same film in January, which Marblehead Director of Public Health Andrew Petty said helped spark a discussion about addition.

Image via If Only trailer