As overdoses continue to rise
in Fall River, a new Opioid Task Force was announced in front of
Government Center on April 7, 2017 that will encounter new cases and
attempt to persuade users into treatment. The Task Force works under the
City's Substance Abuse Grants Manager Michael Aguiar and includes
representatives of the Fall River Police
Department, emergency
medical services, clergy,
treatment providers and people in recovery. "We have a great team of
people we've put together who have been working diligently for a few
months," stated Aguiar who accompanies team members on visits to
overdose victims to encourage them to enter treatment. Opioids
and other drugs have produced a crisis among Massachusetts families, and
other organizations such as Recover
Fall River and Learn 2
Cope work to help family members deal with the crisis of family
members who get involved with opioids. Fall River has seen a steady
rise in overdose deaths over the past several years, with numbers
moving to over seventy deaths in 2016. Click
here for a 30-minute 
video of the event. Click
here for the Herald News story. For more information, contact
Michael Aguiar at 508-324-3598. |
|
(Top row, left
and center) Lance Tehan of Stanley
Street Treatment and Resources talks with Fall
River Health and Human Services Director Henry Vaillancourt, MD,, as
Charlton Hospital Emergency Department Director Seanna Zimmerman talks
with Rachel Davis, also of Southcoast
Health. (Top row, right) Mayor Jasiel Correia II talks with City
Substance Abuse Grants Manager Michael Aguiar before the press
announcement. (Middle row) Carl Sawejko of Swansea
Emergency Management greets Fall River Police Captain Joseph Cabral
before he talks with Mr. Aguiar. (Bottom row) Mayor Correia invites a
number of people, including recovering addict Niki Fontaine, to talk
about the crisis before her mother, Barbara Fontaine, right, talks with
others after the event. |
