The FCIAC recently offered a second coaching education class on the dangers presented by the usage of Opioids as a method of pain relief.
The two sessions were offered this past June and then again in November at Wilton HS. The presenters included Vanessa Avery, Assistant United States Attorney, a DEA agent, and two local parents who lost their children to an Opioid overdose.
The program included a slide presentation and talk documenting the rapid increase of fatalities in our state from Opioid addiction, an explanation from a DEA agent on their struggles with dealing with the increase of Opioid and the showing of the documentary film “Chasing the Dragon: The life of an Opiate Addict.”
This film, whose title refers to the never-ending pursuit of the original or ultimate high, features stark first-person accounts told by individuals who have abused Opioids or whose children have abused Opioids, with tragic consequences.
The final presentation was by two local parents who describe the horror of the grip which Opioids had on their children which lead to their death.
The following is a summary from Vanessa Avery about their program which they will present to schools or communities interested:
The Opioid Initiative at the U.S. Attorney’s Office is a two-pronged approach to fighting the tragic epidemic that is plaguing our state.
First, with tremendous assistance from the DEA, federal prosecutors investigate and prosecute individuals who sell opioids that result in fatal overdoses. In roughly a 3-year period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged and convicted 93 defendants in opioid overdose cases. And there are several cases that remain in the investigative stage.
Second, federal prosecutors are engaged in outreach to schools, medical providers and community members, to educate them on the dangers of opioids and how to prevent more tragedies from occurring.
Together with DEA and FBI, federal prosecutors have given over 140 school presentations and reached over 50,000 students, since 2016. They have reached approximately 6,000 parents, educators and coaches/athletic directors with presentations to these groups of adults during the same time period.
The presentation generally lasts between 1 and 1.5 hours and centers around the FBI/DEA documentary film Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict, which is accompanied by an educator’s discussion guide geared specifically to teens and adolescents.
Along with the film, a team of speakers — which includes a local parent who has lost a child to an opioid overdose — engage the audience in a discussion about the dangers of opioid abuse. To learn more about these presentations or to schedule one at your school or community event, please go to: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/heat.