we've been talking about the alarming rise in heroin and drug-related death
in crimes hitting this western Massachusetts area
and tonight connecting point contributor Carolee McGrath talks at northwestern
district attorney David
solvent and other first responders have been asked to carry in our can't as a
tool to combat
opiate overdoses super Korean is incredibly close with her daughter
Kaylin her only child
but a few years ago she thought you might lose kaelin to an addiction to
painkillers
I couldn't arm
open your door at night see if she was alive
and tried drugs and I tried drinking
but it just didn't really stick with me and never
I mean I like to drink but
I liked pills a lot better it was
easier and you could disguise it and that's exactly what kaelin did for a
while
but finally she confided in her parents and got the help she needed
kaelin went to detox then to a long-term sober living facility
now mother and daughter volunteer for learn to cope
a support group for parents of children who are addicted to heroin
oxy cotton and other drugs what she's doing today she's got her life back
she's happy she's my daughter again I'm
I'm proud of her through learn to cope soon found out about NAR cam
a medication which can reverse in OP I'd overdose
so was trained how to use it to learn to cope and now carries it with her
everywhere
it's a good thing to have the and
I'm strongly an agreement that all
lar force my cheek area people
don't become antics because they want to
they don't overdose because they want to
arm so somebody can help them and maybe
after helping them reply them that maybe they could get
into a program then
I think that's a good thing narc and has been in the news a lot lately a city
leaders in many communities including Boston
wanted to be available for all first responders Dave Sullivan is the
northwestern district attorney
in with the first responders massachusetts is had a pilot program
since 2010
the Quincy Police Department has had over 200 saves with Mark and
by administering it at the scene in so for fire and police
I want sheeps and towns to be able to
have an Archaean available to them if they choose Hampshire and Franklin
counties and the town
after all have seen a spike in drug overdoses in the last several months
techno all a is a substance that
is now be in placed or waste into heroin
and it creates an incredible swift II in because if the potency of ethanol and
heroin
it's almost twenty times more potent and that's what's resulting
in and S a definite down Rhode Island in Totton
and we're expecting that way to hit here sometime soon
East Hampton paramedics all have nor can in their ambulances
and they say in the last few months it's really helped save lives
we've had multiple overdoses
I in the time frame from November 20 now
we have multiple overdose ago we have not had any deaths
so what for all the overdoses that we've had were most people
typically would love the percentage is high that they would
would not survive the fire department is on scene
on in minutes and they use an arc and they're saving lives
currently the Massachusetts Department of Health controls the distribution of
narcan
Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donnellan is the co chair of the
Franklin County
OP or a task force do you worry that this could
in some way promote drug use knowing that you have
this backup plan god forbid things to sell
you know that that's a concern and I think the reality is
no matter what we do people who are determined
to misuse wherever we put out there will find a way to misuse it
but the reality is nor can will save a life
or could save many lives super Korean agrees
got a bit if I had to use it arm I just wanna be prepared
and she says she wants to encourage other parents who are heartbroken over
an addict a child
and let them know that there's hope they wanted to get married i wanted to have
babies on order
be happy for the rest for life I want her to be truly happy
reporting for connecting point I'm Carolee McGrath