SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Police Department tied purple ribbons around the building columns and the station’s lights glowed purple Tuesday in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.
Officer Brendan Reen, who helped organize the recognition, said that since 2015 the town has been keeping track of how many overdoses and deaths have occurred. He said that there have been 106 overdoses in Swampscott and 17 deaths. The data also shows that 45 lives have been saved by overdose-prevention drug Narcan since police started carrying it.
“I think it’s important to recognize that even in a small town, we’re just as vulnerable as any other community,” Reen said, emphasizing that it is important to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction. “It’s important to recognize that there is a need to help people.”
The Swampscott Police Department has been a part of the Police-Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) since 2017, said Reen. PAARI, which was first created in Gloucester, is a program that provides counseling and recourse for addicted individuals through police departments. Police departments across the nation now participate in PAARI.
“(PAARI) is something that allows law enforcement the ability to engage the community and provide another pillar for resources, especially when it comes to health and wellness,” said Reen.
The town’s police department issued an official statement about the International Overdose Awareness Day, which stressed how the department recognizes the sorrow that comes from overdoses, but also stated that there is a promising takeaway.
“There is hope today by recognition of the thousands of lives saved from overdoses,” the statement reads. “Help spread the message that addiction is a disease and that as a community, by providing resources and awareness, lives can be saved.”
Katelyn Sahagian can be reached at [email protected].
