Opioid Use Front and Center in Branford

Branford resident Michelle Sember described the struggles of her oldest son, 22-year-old RJ, who went from a high school football player with good grades to a full-blown heroin addict after experimenting with pot, alcohol, and pills. Her advice: ​“Be a parent and not a friend.”

The epidemic of opioid use in Connecticut has burst into the public’s consciousness over the past few months. It started with reports of overdoses in the New London area and now extends throughout the state and the country.

Branford is not immune, as Sember explained at a recent panel on the topic held in Branford. The panel, organized by State Rep. Sean Scanlon, took place at fire headquarters. 

Nancy Navarretta, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said in Branford, there was a 47 percent increase from 2011 to 2015. Police Chief Kevin Halloran told the Eagle that in 2014, there were two heroin overdoses, one death; 2015, six overdoses, one death. He described the problem as ​“growing but not an epidemic.”

Yesterday at a press conference in New Haven, U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, surrounded by local police chiefs, announced a new initiative in which federal authorities are teaming up with local cops to target the dealers responsible for peddling the fatal drugs. She did so at an afternoon press conference at her Church Street office. She said 20 people have overdosed in the state since January. There’s also an increased effort to seize heroin that comes into Connecticut from Mexico and Colombia.

What often starts as a legitimate prescription for chronic pain or an injury may lead to the purchase of heroin on the street, which is cheap and plentiful.

First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove kicked off the Branford meeting, acknowledging the increased narcotics use, which he said was the ​“dominant topic” at a recent department head meeting. ​“Pro-active measures need to be taken,” he said.

State Rep. Scanlon has been hosting a series of forums to learn how the crisis is affecting the town and region. On a recent Tuesday night, panelists from the medical profession, state and local agencies, and police and EMS discussed the many aspects of opioid and heroin use.

Scanlon has written a provision in a bill that limits first-time adult opioid prescriptions for non-chronic pain to a seven-day supply and limits all prescriptions for minors to a seven-day supply where the prescribing practitioner must discuss the risks associated with opioids with the minor’s parent or guardian. The bill (SB352) has been unanimously passed by the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee. If the bill is passed, it will make Connecticut the second state in the nation (after Massachusetts) to limit such prescriptions to a seven-day supply.

Assigned to the Public Health Committee, Scanlon said he has spent time learning about the problem and it’s been getting worse.

Scanlon cited some grim statistics. In 2012 in Connecticut, 86 people died of heroin overdoses, and one died of a Fentanyl overdose. In 2015, there were 723 overdoses, 415 involving heroin and 107 involving Fentanyl, ​“a deadly combination,” he noted.

He said prescription drug use is the biggest gateway – ​“ground zero.” Four out of heroin users started with prescription drugs or drugs obtained from family or friends.

State Rep. Lonnie Reed, a veteran journalist, described the change from heroin as a drug for the ghetto to one now seen in the suburbs. ​“It impacts everyone,” she said, noting that the drugs of choice in the 1980s were cocaine and crack cocaine, plus there were ​“party drugs and dance drugs.” She said that people using heroin were hopeless, they didn’t want to feel. ​“People don’t want to feel and that’s scary,” she said, adding the President stated that more people die from opiate use than from car crashes.

Police/Town Perspective

Capt. Geoff Morgan of the Branford Police Department said that the Emergency Medical System does an excellent job. When a person calls 911 about an overdose, it’s an ​“exemption card” for arrest. Morgan encouraged people to make use of the crime tip line (203 – 315-3909), which is anonymous. Since January 2014 there have been 25 arrests for heroin possession.

Youth officer Art Ferris said there has been an increase in heroin use from 2014 to 2016, the youngest being 19 and the oldest 66. ​“It’s a real problem,” he said. ​“People don’t have the money for pain medications and they turn to heroin, which is cheaper. Awareness must start at home, in the medicine cabinet.” 

Art Testa, EMS director, said that heroin affects everybody. ​“It’s cheap, easy to get,” he said. In responding to calls, he said, ​“We need to know what you took to help you… our response is the go to the house, treat, and transport.”

If a heroin dose is suspected, EMS personnel typically administer Narcan, which typically reduces the affect of the drug, although it may not work in the case of cardiac arrest. Parents can receive the drug from trained pharmacists; the nasal spray version is more accessible.

Tony Corniello, vice president of clinical services at BHCare, works with the Branford Counseling Center, police department, and fire department. He said that BHCare has 1,000 clients with mental health and substance abuse, a 10 percent increase in the last few years. The agency will be providing Suboxone, a medication to help with opioid dependence, as of July, but does not offer it currently. ​“Pain medications have good intentions, but have caused problems,” he said.

Agencies Weigh In

Dr. J. Craig Allen, medical director at Rushford, which is based in Middletown and offers addiction recovery services, said the biggest challenge is educating physicians about substance abuse disorders. ​“They have limited training,” he said. ​“Treatments should be similar to other chronic diseases.” He said the Center for Disease Control (CDC) just issued guidelines regarding opiate use that discourage high doses of opiate.

Later in a conversation, Allen said that 1 in 550 people who receive prescriptions for opioids are dead in 2 – 1/2 years.

Marlene McCann is executive director of the South Central Connecticut Substance Abuse Council, which focuses on prevention, provides referrals, advocates for treatment, works with regional action councils, and looks at gaps in services.

“We do training for teachers, suicide prevention, and provide information linking people and services,” she said, adding that the intent of the agency is to reduce access to opiates and help people get rid of them safely. Earlier, she said, ​“we didn’t talk about heroin in the suburbs… the pain meds are stronger, quicker to addict. More than the addict, it’s a family issue.”

Navarretta said that policymakers, physicians, and parents must work together. Her agency works with folks who can’t afford services, prevention services. She reiterated that there’s an increase in heroin addiction since 2011, noting that 44 percent is from opiate addiction.

Comments From the Public

Several speakers discussed concerns about budget cuts and the problem of coverage by commercial insurance companies; apparently there’s no problem with coverage by state insurance.

It was noted that in Branford there are 12-step meetings, four times a day. Nar-Anon is an organization available to support families.

A speaker who works as bartender said that the number one drug is alcohol; he cited the dilemma of patrons encouraging a former addict to have a drink. He said that alcohol kills 75,000 a year, while 28,000 are killed by drugs.

“What are the signs of heroin use?” asked Yvonne Gordon-Moser. ​“What can we see?” Allen said to look for flu-like symptoms, insomnia, and pinpoint pupils. It was also mentioned to check for paraphernalia, packaging, note people coming and going, changes in behavior, and new friends.

Businessman Joe Gordon said he lost a partner to heroin at age 70. He said he developed a ​“business model” for the sale of heroin based a ​“free sample,” which kids get from a supplier and quickly addicts them; then they start purchasing. He described the process as a ​“franchise with no head office.”

A parent said that schools need to get involved at earlier age. Allen responded, ​“You can’t start talking too early, but make sure it’s developmentally appropriate.”

Rich, who said he’s been ​“10 years clean,” said, ​“It’s a chronic disease … a seven-day wait for a bed is too long.” He added that hospitals ​“make them [the addicts] safe” then turn them out with a piece of paper. ​“Are we looking for the shortest, quickest answer?” he asked. Allen said that insurance companies are finally seeing that there’s hope in long-term treatments… ​“that’s where the science is.”

In wrapping up the panel, Scanlon said, ​“The state is broke. We need to have conversations with people who have the money – insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies,” which, he noted are blocking the seven-day legislation.

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