SWAMPSCOTT — The Board of Health received an update from the town’s Public Health Nurse and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Neia Illingworth on the efforts to address the opioid epidemic as it pertains to Swampscott during its meeting Wednesday night.
Illingworth emphasized that based on a survey conducted in January that yielded 195 responses, a sizable portion of residents have been impacted by the epidemic in some form. The survey also asked respondents how they would prefer the town’s opioid settlement funds. In 2021, the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Office announced a settlement with distributors of the drug, which resulted in approximately $500 million to be distributed throughout numerous municipalities.
“Respondents would like to see funds mainly spent on the prevention of opioid misuse and support for those in recovery,” Illingworth said.
According to Illingworth, the town is set to receive a total nearing $1.1 million in settlement funds throughout the next 15 years, pending the outcome of some further negotiations.
She announced Michelle Simons as the health department’s official Opioid Settlement Funds Program Contractor. Board member Gargi Cooper expressed her desire to see Simons’s role have more of a focus on community engagement, as opposed to administration.
“We’re looking at potentially 10 to 15 hours per week,” Illingworth said about the hours Simons will work in her new position. “We are looking at having her available as a resource for people to talk to when they’re looking for help for themselves or their loved ones.”
The ongoing efforts to train high school students on Narcan training was also discussed, as Illingworth noted how a restriction from conducting lessons on school premises is easily averted by holding them in the nearby senior center.
