Some may assume that addiction is not a problem in their communities because it is not frequently talked about, yet overdose is a real danger everywhere, including Wayland.
Wayland Cares Director Jason Verhoosky is working to assess the damage that substances cause in Wayland and neighboring towns.
The state of Massachusetts lost over 2300 people to overdoses in 2022, and these didn’t all come from Boston. Wayland, Framingham, Waltham and Natick combined contributed to 33 of these deaths. So, how can this be stopped?
Harm reduction and education play key roles in decelerating the ever-growing overdose epidemic. Drug use has been a part of society since the 9th century B.C., so specialists say that the idea of completely eradicating drugs is unrealistic. That being said, experts claim that utilizing harm reduction instead of immediate treatment can lessen the amount of lives that addiction takes. With the rate of overdose deaths in the U.S. on a rise, a real-time solution is needed.
One proposed tactic for harm reduction in Massachusetts are overdose prevention centers (OPCs). Clinical Research Coordinator for the Substance Use Disorder Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital Sarah Casey is working with the volunteer coalition for safe consumption sites, SIFAMA NOW!, to legalize these centers in Massachusetts.
The first ever OPC was founded in Switzerland in 1986. They are now present in over a dozen countries, including two located in New York City.
While the purpose of these centers is to reduce harm, the idea of implementing them into Boston has faced backlash. Some people believe that these centers enable drug use and put communities at higher risk of substance abuse, but there has never been a recorded overdose in an OPC.
Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Public Health Dr. Robbie Goldstein spoke about this controversy at the Together For Hope convention.
Massachusetts is one of 37 states in the U.S. that requires substance use education. During their indoor wellness semester, 9th graders at Wayland High School are taught 15 individual lessons on drugs and drug addiction, receiving the majority of their state-required education revolving around substance use. Students learn facts about what is in certain substances, the effects of said substances on the brain, usage statistics and ways to prevent overdose deaths.
The topics covered during drug prevention education are constantly morphing throughout grade levels at WHS. According to wellness teachers, upperclassmen tend to have more lessons with themes centered around drug use and safe choices due to the presumed larger spike in drug usage during a student’s junior and senior year.
Educating people, especially people who are young and may have not had exposure to drugs yet, can help solidify the dangers of certain drugs and help students to more informed decisions when faced with situations involving substances.
WHS wellness teacher Jennifer Reed teaches some of these courses.
However, students aren’t the only ones at WHS receiving education on these topics. To be more aware when students are exhibiting signs of drug misuse, all Wayland Public Schools teachers were taught lessons about drug prevention when they first started teaching. These lessons are based in science and data, not opinion, in an attempt to move away from drug-related sigma.
Taught by Wayland Public Health Nurse Michele Fronk Schuckel, these seminars covered opioid overdose response and harm reduction training.
According to Verhoosky, education doesn’t just spread awareness, it is also crucial to battling judgment and stereotypes surrounding substance use. It is not uncommon for people to make assumptions about others after learning that an individual may be experiencing an SUD. This can lead to people feeling dehumanized and treated like inferiors, and it can make it harder for some people with substance use to reach out for help because they are afraid of the judgment. Verhoosky and Wayland Cares are making efforts to reduce stigma around SUDs in Wayland.
According to experts, misinformation can lead to dehumanization, which makes passing harm reduction legislation and prevention tactics harder. It can be very easy to believe stereotypes without first-hand experience, especially when the majority of information you hear promotes the stigma.
Education, especially of the youth, is crucial to eradicating stigma. Since it might be difficult for some to relate to a person dealing with addiction, dissolving the idea that the user “did it to themselves” or is a “bad person” are key steps in building up empathy. These ideas can be solidified when teachers give fact-based presentations explaining that addiction is a disease, not a choice.
