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Date: 9/6/2022
CHICOPEE – Local leaders and outreach organizations reflected on International Overdose Awareness Day with a flag raising outside of City Hall on Aug. 31.
Mayor John Vieau welcomed state Rep. Jacob Oliveira, state senate candidate Sydney Levin-Epstein, City Councilor At-Large Gerald Roy, Ward 9 City Councilor Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello, Police Capt. Holly Cote, Fire Lt. Katie Kalbaugh, Health Director Lisa Sanders and representatives from state Sens. Eric Lesser, Adam Gomez and John Velis’ offices for the flag raising event.
The city also hosted Tapestry Health and Narcotics Anonymous. The organizations ran overdose informational tables before and after the flag raising.
In his address, Vieau reflected on the impacts opioid abuse can have upon people. The mayor shared that his best friend’s brother passed away from an overdose in 2003.
“Since then, I’ve known many people who have been overcome by addiction and loss their lives,” said Vieau.
To combat the troubling trend, the mayor expressed gratitude for the $1.3 million Opioid Settlement Agreement the city received as a part of a national settlement. The funds will be allocated over the next 17 years.
“We’re really excited about how we are going to use that money, and we’ve put together quite a team,” said Vieau.
The city’s opioid prevention team includes the efforts of the city’s Police and Fire Departments, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office and Sanders. The mayor stressed that this team helps address opioid addiction through extensive outreach efforts.
“That collaboration is working to figure out how we can do our part. I think we are going to really focus on the beginning of outreach and touch as many as possible about how…we’re going to focus on prevention, and we’re going to focus on the other end, which is treatment,” said Vieau.
Cote detailed the city’s history with opioid outreach in her address. The Police and Fire Departments received Narcan five years ago after receiving a grant. At that time, Cote became intimately involved with opioid outreach as the efforts grew extensively over the years.
“We have been going out over the past five years and gone out to 250 people who have overdosed and their families and provided them with resources…we meet people where they are at,” said Cote.
With the Opioid Settlement Agreement, Cote said the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department will be overseeing the execution of the agreement. Additionally, the Chicopee School Department is looking to implement a secondary substance abuse counselor to address addiction at young age.
In closing, Vieau reiterated that the city will continue to grow its preventive opioid addiction measures.
“We’re very focused on how we’re going to handle that in the immediate future,” said Vieau.