SWAMPSCOTT — “Protect your brain” and “Don’t wait to ask for help” were the main messages of a forum on addiction and substance-use disorders held at Swampscott High School on Monday night.
The forum, which was aimed toward the town’s youth and their parents, was held by the Police Department and Essex County District Attorney’s office. A panel of local community experts shared their stories and insights on different types of addiction.
“The whole idea (of the forum) is to help give information that will stop or slow down the onset of alcohol and drug use so that the human brain can develop,” said Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, who chairs the Maryland-based Addiction Policy Forum (APF), which provided the resources for Monday’s event.
His office created a drug-diversion program in 2007, Blodgett said, and 1,400 offenders have successfully completed it in lieu of prosecution.
“It is something that we feel strongly about,” said Blodgett.
The forum featured a presentation from APF, which was led by Swampscott Police Officers Brendan Reen and Brian Wilson, and a panel discussion that included a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The presentation contained slides and videos focused on the damage that alcohol, drug and nicotine use can cause in a developing brain and steps parents and teachers can take to prevent addiction in adolescents. According to APF, the human brain does not fully develop until the age of 25, and 90 percent of people with substance-use disorders start consuming these substances before the age of 18.
“From the parental standpoint, the goal is to learn how to engage with our children to prevent or identify addiction,” said Reen.
Next, members of the panel shared their experiences with substance-use disorders and answered questions from the audience.
Christopher DiPietro, a Swampscott firefighter, shared a vivid memory of finding his brother dead from an overdose and the pain he felt from letting down his parents, who were on vacation at the time of the tragedy.
Antonio Gutierrez, founder of the Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy, spoke of his journey as a drug addict, gang member and drug dealer to a homeless person, to 23 years of sobriety and working with youth suffering from substance-use disorders.
“I see what this disease does to our young people. They think they are invincible,” Gutierrez said, mentioning that he carries Narcan daily in case he needs to revitalize someone from an overdose. “Don’t be afraid to start conversations.”
James Nicholson, a nurse practitioner from the complex addictions team at Lynn Community Health Center, said that it is important for youth to learn coping skills so they do not turn to substances at a young age. He highlighted the importance of familial connections and support to get people through a substance-use disorder.
“The people that I see who are struggling the worst have totally been cut off from family and virtually have no support,” said Nicholson.
Billy See —who grew up in Swampscott and first tried alcohol at the age of 13 and later became an alcoholic and a drug user — said he remembers a time when he didn’t want to live anymore. See manipulated his family, went from one rehab program to another, and struggled with homelessness until he was introduced to the 12 steps program. It was there that he sat down with someone who overcame their addictions and was in recovery.
“Because of the AA and 12 steps, I am able to be happy and live a sober life,” said See, who has been in recovery since 2017 and now has a family of his own and two children.
His mother, Catherine See, participated in the panel as well, sharing how their family’s history with alcohol didn’t give her son a chance. She said her son still succumbed to addiction, despite the fact that she and her husband tried to stay on top of it, engaged their children in sports, and went skiing every weekend during the winter seasons.
“I didn’t realize it was a disease I won’t be able to take care of,” said Catherine See.
She said the program that helped her most was Family Restored, which is run by addicts in recovery.
School district nurse Amanda Rivers, who works at a local psychiatric ward with children, spoke about the shortage of beds for children with substance-use disorders in local hospitals, importance of a dual diagnosis that takes into account mental-health issues and the frequency she sees fentanyl gets mixed into substances children consume.
The panel also discussed the signs of addiction; consequences of legalization of marijuana that teenagers don’t view as dangerous, while being targeted by advertising; what to do when parents discover their children are addicted to substances or when teenagers are worried about their classmates.
“You can go to a trusted adult,” said Rivers, naming school nurses, a guidance counselor and a school resource officer as examples. “We can take the steps and do it anonymously. If you see something, you should definitely say something.”
At the end of the forum, the Swampscott Police Department presented a plaque to Blodgett to honor his 20 years as Essex County’s district attorney.
Many resources and information shared at the forum are available at the APF website.
