Opiate Awareness Series

A four-part Opiate Awareness Series will be offered by St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church and Healthy Tri-Town Coalition. The epidemic of opiate abuse, addiction and overdose deaths rising across the country increasingly impacts our families and loved ones in the Tri-Town area. Find out more through this four-part community awareness series, co-sponsored by St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church and the Healthy Tri-Town Coalition.

January Presentation: Friday, January 27, 7:00 pm at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Marion.

Linda Botelho of “Learn to Cope” will share her own experience with a loved one who has struggled with addiction. She will share the resources available through “Learn to Cope,” a local support network that offers education, meetings, resources, peer support and hope for parents and family members coping with a loved one addicted to opiates or other drugs. Coffee and dessert will be provided. Tri-Town public nurses will also be available to provide information and answer questions regarding local resources.

February Book Discussion: Sunday, February 26, 7:00 pm at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Marion.

We will hold a book-study discussion of the highly-acclaimed best-seller Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones. An investigative journalist, Quinones weaves together two riveting tales of how the opiate epidemic spread across the United States, in which aggressive marketing of pain killers by pharmaceutical companies combined with a changed approach from the poppy-growing region of northwest Mexico, and led to a catastrophic national crisis. This is a must-read in understanding the current opioid epidemic. Refreshments will be provided. Copies of Dreamland are available for purchase at St Gabriel’s. Call 508-748-1507 for information.

March Movie and Discussion: Sunday, March 26, 6:00 pm at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Marion.

There will be a community showing of the powerful 2016 documentary Chasing the Dragon produced by the FBI. The film features interviews with people who either abused opiates or had family members who did so, describing how they began using them, how they became addicted, and how they went to extraordinary lengths to feed and pay for their addiction. Family members describe the impact on their lives. The 45-minute film also includes interviews with medical and law enforcement professionals, detailing the effects of addiction and the unique aspects of the opiate epidemic in the United States. Note: This film contains some profanity and disturbing material. Recommended for high school and above.

April Presentation: Thursday, April 27, 7:00 pm at Old Rochester Regional High School, Mattapoisett.

Addiction expert Dr. Ruth Potee teaches that, just like diabetes, addiction is a disease, plain and simple, and should be treated as such. “Addiction is caused by broken dopamine receptors or other parts of the brain’s internal pleasure center; the days of thinking of this as a moral weakness or a failing or bad parenting or bad genetics – we’ve got to move past that.” Dr. Potee, one of the state’s foremost experts in the physiology of addiction, will speak at ORRHS to spark a community dialogue on addiction and to help residents understand who is at risk, how to prevent, and how to treat addiction. This free talk will be followed by refreshments and discussion with Dr. Potee and local public health professionals.

All events are free and open to the public. Visit stgabrielsmarion.org or healthytritowncoalition.org for more information. St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church is located at 124 Front Street, Marion (Tel: 508-748-1507). Parking is available.

Leave A Comment...

*