Michael F. Devine, Superintendent
180 Harborview Road
Hull, MA 02045
For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Memorial Middle School to Host Opioid Awareness and Prevention Event
HULL — Superintendent Michael Devine is pleased to announce that Memorial Middle School will host an opioid awareness and prevention program in March.
WHEN:
Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
WHERE:
Memorial Middle School, 81 Central Ave., in the auditorium.
WHAT:
Students in grades six through 12, as well as parents, caregivers and community members, are invited to attend a free opioid awareness and prevention program on March 4 at Memorial Middle School. The program will feature a performance by the Improbable Players, followed by a question and answer session with the actors.
The Improbable Players is an organization that gives 25 to 45 minute performances pertaining to the opioid epidemic, alcoholism, and addiction at schools, conferences, treatment centers and community events. The performances are based off of true stories and are performed by individuals in recovery. The event is intended for students in grade six and up.
During the March 4 event, the Improbable Players will give a performance titled “End of the Line,” which focuses on the opioid epidemic and follows the story of four people with substance use disorder. Each of the four central characters in the short play becomes addicted to opioids by different circumstances, illustrating to viewers how young people can be introduced to opioids in various ways.
“Addiction to opioids has affected virtually every city and town across the country,” said Memorial Middle School Principal Anthony Hrivnak. “Primarily, we want to give parents an opening to start a conversation about these topics with their family. We also want to reduce any stigma that might be associated with this issue.”
Memorial Middle School students will have the opportunity to see another performance by the Improbable Players during the school day on March 4 as well. The skit is titled “Running on E,” which examines the various pressures all teens face, how substance abuse begins, and how young people can resist getting involved with drugs and alcohol.
Refreshments will be available for purchase at the March 4 evening event.
The March 4 program was made possible by a $20,000 grant that was awarded this winter to Hull Public Schools and the Hull Police Department by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The grant was awarded to fund an opioid abuse and prevention program at Memorial Middle School.
To learn more about the Improbable Players, visit their website at improbableplayers.org.
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