Politics & Government

Norfolk DA Warning Parents About Opiate Abuse

District Attorney Michael Morrissey taped a spot for cable access stations in Norfolk County.

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey will launch a series of cable access shows that discuss drug abuse and how parents can talk with their kids about opiate use.

"The primary focus of our office has to be aggressively prosecuting crimes committed in our communities. But a small investment in education can lead to preventing many senseless crimes that not only cause a great deal of suffering, but are very costly to the taxpayers," Morrissey said.

The shows will discuss consequences of drug use, bad teenage decision making, and other societal issues aimed to educate parents and the general public.

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Morrissey's first show discusses prescription drug abuse of medications like Oxycontin. Opiate overdose deaths are the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., according to the D.A.

"Parents are key to stopping this from consuming their children, but parents need information to be effective," he said in a statement.

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Morrissey’s first half-hour seminar features three speakers with different expertise: Harvard Medical School professor and Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. John Kelly; North Quincy High School nurse Kristen Houlihan; and Lyn Frano, an anti-opiate advocate.

"Prosecuting drug trafficking after those drugs have ruined lives, or taken lives, is important, but it is not the only answer," Morrissey said. "Our communities need to fight opiate addiction before it consumes the next generation, and parents taking advantage of the education and assistance available to them, and experts like these, is an important part of that."

Check the Stoughton Media Access Corporation's website for airing times.


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