PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The recently formed Berkshire Opioid Abuse and Prevention Collaborative is hosting a community forum on prescription drugs and heroin abuse on Oct. 30 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North St., 2nd floor. 

 

The community is invited to attend to learn how the proliferation of pain-killer prescription drugs has affected the community, what the collaborative is doing to prevent and reduce access and what treatment options are available. The forum is also designed to obtain feedback from the community. Members of the public are invited to share their own knowledge about pathways to use, access issues, youth and parent attitudes about use of prescription drugs and heroin. 

            

Guest speakers include Ron Hayden, chairman of the emergency room at Berkshire Medical Center; Jennifer Michaels, medical director of the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; a member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force; a parent of a young person in recovery; and a person in recovery. 

 

The abuse of prescription drugs and heroin is an alarming problem in Berkshire County.  The Brien Center reports that prescription pills are the third most common substances abused by adolescents — behind marijuana and alcohol. 

 

During the period from 2000 to 2013, there were 169 confirmed fatal overdoses in Berkshire County attributed to opioids, methadone and heroin. Data shows that the vast majority of people who abuse pain killers get them from the home medicine cabinet, or from friends and relatives. Doses of prescription pain killers prescribed have increased every year since 1996.

 

For more information on the forum, contact Karen Cole at 413-442-6948 or kcole@berkshireunitedway.org.