Community Corner

Stoughton Holding "Overdose Prevention 101" in Response to Recent Heroin Overdoses

More on Stoughton's Overdose Workshop - "Save a Life: Overdose Prevention 101"


While it's an issue that impacted many area towns, a recent spike in heroin and other opiate related overdoses touched Stoughton too, so the town is taking steps to make sure it can help those families dealing with addition.


On average Stoughton sees two or three heroin or other opiate-related overdoses per year, Stoughton Deputy Police Chief Robert Devine said. However, there were three such deaths in town just in the first part of July, and 12 overdoses last month overall.

"Save a Life: Overdose Prevention" is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Stoughton Senior Center/Youth Commission Building (110 Rockland St.).

It's presented by OASIS (Organizing Against Substances in Stoughton), the Stoughton Police and Fire Departments and BAMSI (Brockton Area Multi Services, Inc.) COPE Center.

The workshop will cover what is happening in Stoughton, overdose causes, overdose prevention, and overdose intervention to save a life.

"We're putting ourselves out there because we care about our residents," OASIS coordinator Stephanie Patton said.

"Kudos to the police for calling attention to it in the first place," she added.  (A Stoughton Police Facebook post back in July initially shed light on the overdose situation here in town).

The workshop will also offer the opportunity to learn how to use Narcan, an overdose reversal drug. Anyone who enrolls for Narcan following the training will leave with a free kit with two doses of Nasal Narcan to use in overdose emergencies.

Patton stressed that the Nasal Narcan is not injected and has no other impact on the body - its only function is to stop opiate overdoses.

Patton said that the goal of this workshop is to "empower folks, give them the tools...so we don't lose anymore people to this addiction."

Light refreshments will be served. If you are interested in childcare, contact Patton at spatton@stoughton-ma.gov.

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