opioids

*Media Advisory* Newport Police to Host Community Conversation on Opioids

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Newport Police Department
Chief Seth C. DiSanto
222 Main St.
Newport VT 05855

newport-vt-patchFor Immediate Release

Monday, Aug. 20, 2018

News Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

*Media Advisory*

Newport Police to Host Community Conversation on Opioids

NEWPORT, VERMONT — Chief Seth C. DiSanto reports that the Newport Police Department will host a community conversation that will address the opioid crisis.

WHO:

  • Newport Police Department
  • Community organizers

WHERE:

United Church, 63 3rd St., Newport

WHEN:

Thursday, Aug. 30, from 6-8 p.m.

WHAT:

Members of the Newport Police Department will participate in an open discussion with residents about opioid abuse and addiction in the community.

“The opioid crisis is a nationwide epidemic that has affected all kinds of communities, including ours,” Chief DiSanto said. “We’re committed to addressing this issue in close cooperation with residents and community organizations, and I invite anyone who would like to participate in this dialogue to join us.”

The event is made possible through the Regional Prevention Partnerships grant from Northeast Kingdom Learning Services, and will empower residents to offer their input and feedback directly to members of law enforcement.

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*Media Advisory* P.A.A.R.I. to Host Third Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

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PAARI_Logo_PUB_052815-06

P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
Frederick Ryan, Co-Chairman
186 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930

For Immediate Release

Monday, June 25, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

*Media Advisory*

P.A.A.R.I. to Host Third Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

GLOUCESTER — The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is pleased to announce it will welcome law enforcement leaders from across the country to celebrate its third anniversary and honor those who are helping in the fight against opioid addiction.

Tickets are required to attend, and anyone who would like to purchase a ticket or support the event may do so by clicking here. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

WHEN: 

Wednesday, June 27 from 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: 

Gloucester House Restaurant, 63 Rogers St., Gloucester

WHAT: 

The public is invited to help celebrate as P.A.A.R.I. marks three years working to fight the opioid epidemic through its partnerships with more than 400 law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S.

P.A.A.R.I. was founded in 2015 in concert with the groundbreaking Gloucester ANGEL Initiative, which reinvented the way law enforcement agencies confront addiction in their own communities by treating it as a treatable disease rather than a crime.

With its network of 408 law enforcement partners, P.A.A.R.I. is working toward a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country. This movement is reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, reducing stigma and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities.

Since it began on June 1, 2015, the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative has directed more than 600 people into treatment and served as the foundation for a pathway to recovery for hundreds more nationwide.

“Our law enforcement partners have been a tremendous asset in creating access to treatment, and their continued support is what will ultimately help turn the tide in our national struggle against addiction,” Co-Founder and Co-Chairman John Rosenthal said. “This celebration is an opportunity for us to recognize the fantastic work of so many people who have made this movement possible.”

“These first three years have been inspirational, and I’m so proud of the work that our partners have done to change the conversation around addiction,” Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade said. “What started with a single department opening its doors has evolved into a phenomenon that has earned the buy-in of hundreds of agencies from all over our country and gotten the attention of key policymakers at all levels of government.”

“Our diverse group of partners, which includes agencies large and small, shows that this renewed approach is what it’s going to take to overcome the opioid crisis,” Co-Chairman and Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan said. “I want to thank the law enforcement and community leaders for their continued support and their recognition of the fact that this is a public health issue that we cannot do away with simply by arresting and incarcerating those who need our help.”

P.A.A.R.I. will honor several individuals and groups in multiple categories for their contributions to the effort to combating the opioid crisis. Those confirmed to attend are marked by an asterisk.

Law Enforcement Leadership

  • Chief Peter Volkman — Chatham Police Department (New York)*
  • Commissioner William B. Evans and Deputy Superintendent Winifred Cotter — Boston Police Department
  • Chief Tom Bashore — Nashville Police Department (North Carolina)
  • Chief Joseph Cordeiro — New Bedford Police Department*
  • Chief Robbie Moulton — Scarborough Police Department (Maine)
  • Sheriff Kevin Coppinger, Gary Barrett, Community Relations Coordinator, and the entire Detox Unit team — Essex County Sheriff’s Department*

Government Leadership 

  • Rep. Joe Kennedy III
  • Jim Cormier — New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area*
  • Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken*
  • Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders*

Advocacy and Community Leadership 

  •  Marty Ginivan and Christine Bobeck — Grace Center*
  • Suzanne Graves — Evelyn Lilly Lutz Foundation, Beverly Hospital*
  • Sarah Cloud — Beth Isreal Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth*
  • Dr. Sarah Wakeman — Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Emily Haber — Massachusetts Service Alliance

Stephenie Jesi Memorial Scholarship

  • Courtney Favazza*
  • Ieisha Clements*
  • Matthew Foley*

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East Bridgewater Joins Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors

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East Bridgewater Police Department
Scott Allen, Chief of Police
153 Central St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333

For Immediate Release

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

East Bridgewater Joins Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Scott Allen and the East Bridgewater Board of Selectmen report that the town has agreed to join a lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical opioids, in an effort to recover municipal costs that have been brought on by the opioid epidemic.

The Massachusetts Opioid Litigation Attorneys is a group of attorneys representing local towns and cities in the class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit is part of a larger, nationwide multi-district litigation lawsuit brought on by the group, National Prescription Opiate Litigation.

The East Bridgewater Board of Selectmen voted March 12, 2018 to become a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Being a party in the lawsuit comes at no cost to the town and the attorneys will be paid with a portion of any damages recovered.

“In addition to the emotional and personal impact this epidemic and health crisis has had on all of us, there has also been a substantial budgetary impact that all of our communities have had to deal with for more than a decade,” Chief Allen said. “If being a part of this lawsuit comes at no cost to the town and it has the potential for these big drug manufacturers and distributors to be held accountable, I am all for it.” 

The defendants in the lawsuit are the pharmaceutical corporations Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, along with multiple wholesale distributors. The lawsuit alleges deceptive trade practices, fraud, negligence and civil conspiracy.

The lawsuit seeks damages for the municipal cost of providing treatment, counseling and rehabilitation services, along with costs directly associated with law enforcement and public safety relating to the opioid epidemic.

So far, there are more than 75 communities in the state that have joined the lawsuit and more than 500 cities and towns nationwide.

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Salt Lake City Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Fight Opioid Addiction

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For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 8, 2018

 

 

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Salt Lake City Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Fight Opioid Addiction

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) Co-Chairs John Rosenthal and Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan, and P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade are pleased to announce that the Salt Lake City Police Department has partnered with P.A.A.R.I. to better serve individuals and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.

The Salt Lake City Police Department and P.A.A.R.I. formally began their partnership in late 2017, bolstering the ongoing efforts of Operation Diversion — a partnership between Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.

Since October 2016, Operation Diversion has helped place 246 individuals into treatment.

“The Salt Lake City Police Department is excited to join P.A.A.R.I. because we have been facing an opioid crisis in our community for the last several years and our officers respond to multiple overdoses on a daily basis,” Chief Brown said. “We know that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem and we believe that working with P.A.A.R.I. will help us actively contribute to finding a sustainable solution to this crisis.”

Through its partnership with P.A.A.R.I., the Salt Lake City Police Department will open its doors to those suffering from addiction — and their families — by referring them to treatment and recovery options in lieu of arrest and prosecution.

To help accomplish their goal of directing those actively seeking help to the most appropriate resources, Salt Lake City Police have enlisted the help of eight social workers who coordinate directly with those battling substance use disorders to support their recovery efforts.

Hunter McDade will be making a site visit in Salt Lake City this week and will be collaborating with officers on a presentation at Utah Valley University’s conference on addiction on Friday.

“The Salt Lake City Police Department has shown a deep commitment to helping those impacted by the opioid epidemic overcome substance abuse and rebuild their lives,” Hunter McDade said. “I’m eager to work hand-in-hand with the department and their local partners to build upon that foundation and make lifesaving recovery resources more accessible.”

About P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to help law enforcement agencies establish pre-arrest programs that create immediate and stigma-free entry points to treatment and recovery programs.

P.A.A.R.I. works across sectors to provide training, coaching and support; program models, policies and procedures and templates; seed grants; connections to more than 300 vetted treatment centers; a network of like-minded law enforcement agencies; a unified voice with media and legislators; and capacity building through AmeriCorps.

P.A.A.R.I. is free to join and open to any law enforcement agency that believes in treatment over arrest and views addiction as a disease, not a crime. Since June 2015, P.A.A.R.I. has launched more than 375 law enforcement programs in 32 states, distributed 10,000 4mg doses of life-saving nasal naloxone and helped more than 12,000 people into treatment.

 

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