February 8, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Revere, MA
Contact: Katie Sugarman, Assistant Director
Revere CARES Coalition
300 Ocean Avenue
Revere, Massachusetts02151
(781) 485-6404
Community Leaders Gather to Address Opioid Overdose Crisis
On January 31, 2013, more than 120 community leaders attended the NorthShore Opiate Overdose Summit to discuss the opioid overdose crisis along the NorthShore of Massachusetts. This event aimed to create connections and dialogue amongst the public officials and private organizations that face the impact of overdose everyday.
According to the MA Department of Public Health, between 2003 and 2008, more than 4,000 Massachusetts residentsdied from opiate-related overdoses, andmanycommunitiesnorth of Boston continue to lose lives every month to overdose.The Revere CARES Coalition, in collaboration with the MGHCenter for Community Health Improvement and the communities of Revere, Saugus and Winthrop, brought leaders together toraise awareness about the crisisfacing communities andshare examples of communitystrategiestodecreaseopiate use and abuse.
Among the many notable leaders at the event were State Representative Donald Wong of Saugus, Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo, Winthrop Town Manager James McKenna, and Saugus Town Manager Scott Crabtree. Additionally, leadership from several local police and fire departments were in attendance, including Winthrop Police Chief Terence M. Delehanty ,Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli and Revere Fire Captain Jay Picariello, who presented about the department’s first responder Narcan pilot program.
During the event, participants to listen to a personal story from a family member who lost a loved one to an opiate overdose,as well to an inspirational story from an individual in recovery from opiate addiction. A data presentation from the MA Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services also illustrated the importance of addressing this issue since unintentional deaths from opioid overdoses now surpass motor vehicle related deaths in Massachusetts. Small group panel presentations covered a wide range of opiate-related topics, including an overview of possible overdose prevention strategies and a discussion of how substance abuse prevention coalitions, schools, and families can work together to try to prevent youth substance abuse before it begins.
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At the conclusion of the event, participants were invited to begin to take action to expand awareness and education of this issue across all sectors of each community and tostrengthen collaboration among healthcare providers, treatment agencies, law enforcement, court systems and elected officials. There appeared to be agreement amongst summit participants that, in order for individuals to obtain recovery from opiate addiction, community members need to be more aware of what resources and interventions are available to them, and the barriers to accessing these resources must be addressed.
A second regional summit for youth and community members will be held on Thursday, March 14 from 4 pm to 8 pm at the Kowloon Restaurant on Route 1 north in Saugus. Additional details will be posted on the Revere CARES website ( in the coming weeks. For questions about this summit series, please contact Katie Sugarman at .
The North Shore Overdose Prevention Summits are sponsored by the Revere CARES Coalition, the Saugus Anti-Drug Coalition, Saugus We Care, and Community Against Substance Abuse, Inc. (CASA) of Winthrop, the City of Revere, the Town of Winthrop, the MGHCenter for Community Health Improvement, and the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery.
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About the MGH Revere CARES Coalition
The mission of the Revere CARES coalition is to strengthen the health of Revere by: Addressing priorities established by community members; utilizing an environmental approach; advocating for evidence-based, culturally competent strategies, programs and services; and increasing connectedness among individuals and organizations. The goal of the coalition is to improve the well-being of Revere’s residents by preventing substance abuse and promoting healthy eating, active living, and healthy relationships. Revere CARES Coalition is a program of the MGHCenter for Community Health Improvement.
About the Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI)
CCHI carries out its work in Chelsea, Revere, and Charlestown, where MGH has maintained healthcare centers for more than 40 years, as well as in Boston among youth, homeless persons and seniors. CCHI has partnered with the communities it serves to assess needs and create more than 38 programs that:
- Reduce and prevent substance abuse
- Intervene in the cycle of violence
- Tackle the obesity epidemic by increasing access to healthy food and physical activity
- Increase access to care for vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees, seniors, and homeless people
- Prevent cancers through early detection and screening
- Generate interest in science and health careers among youth