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Polito: State is addressing opioid problem

Herald News - 6/10/2018

FALL RIVER - Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito stopped by the Fall River Police Department on Friday for a briefing on the city's response to the opioid epidemic.

"It's not a character flaw to be addicted to a drug. It's a public health epidemic, so let's treat it that way, let's talk about it that way," Polito said to a room of public safety officers, drug counselors and interventionists who comprise the Fall River Opioid Task Force.

Joined by state Rep. Carole Fiola, Polito talked up Gov. Charlie Baker's administration's efforts in recent years to address the rise of opioid-related overdoses and deaths in Massachusetts. She highlighted legislation and funding that she said have helped to stem the supply of prescription opioids while helping more people find treatment programs and long-term recovery.

"What we've heard over the last few years is when they find their long-term treatment, that's really the beginning," Polito said in emphasizing that recovery is an ongoing process that continues after a treatment program.

Though some progress has been made, communities across the country, especially Fall River, continue to see the fallout.

"You're not going to legislate your way out of it. You're not going to arrest your way out of it," said Fall River Police Chief Al Dupere, who attended the meeting.

Last month, driven in large part by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, around 100 people in Fall River had a drug overdose and seven people died. Through the end of May, the city had seen almost 400 overdoses and 25 related deaths.

On Friday, the Fall River Opioid Task Force explained to Polito the work of Project ReConnect, a program in which a team of interventionists and police officers visit the homes of people who overdose in the attempt of linking them and their families with treatment and support services. In the first four months of this year, the Project ReConnect team reached out to about 200 people, and got 78 of them into ongoing treatment services. Three people who participated in the program later died.

The local task force is involved in other initiatives that include organizing a monthly resource center for people struggling with addiction, as well as pushing for Narcan training that will be held this fall as part of the health programs at B.M.C. Durfee High School and Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.

"I'm really proud of what we've accomplished in the past year," said Beth Faunce, the deputy director of Fall River EMS and co-chair of the Fall River Opioid Task Force.

Email Brian Fraga at bfraga@heraldnews.com.