Parents need to be more vigilant, doctors need to stop over-prescribing opioids, and kids need to stop getting the message that marijuana, a gateway drug, is harmless. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are working to make progress with new protocols to help medical professionals and families address opioid and heroin abuse.

Those were some of the takeaways from the Branford Community Forum on a statewide opioid and heroin crisis that’s hitting home. Hosted by State Representative Sean Scanlon (D, District 98, Guilford/Branford Stony Creek-Pine Orchard) March 29 at Branford Fire Headquarters, the forum drew a full house. Scanlon also held a highly-attended Guilford forum in February.

As a new legislator last year, Scanlon joined the Public Health Committee and that’s when he learned about the state’s recent explosion in heroin and opioid use, overdoses and deaths. Last year, statewide overdose deaths rose by 27 percent, claiming the lives of 723 people. Of those, 450 died from heroin and 107 from fentanyl, an opiate 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. Scanlon compared those numbers to 2012 figures of 86 overdose deaths statewide and one death from fentanyl. He said a rise in the use of fentanyl is helping to kill.

“Now, a lot of dealers on the streets are lacing heroin with fentanyl, because it gets the person higher and it’s cheaper,” said Scanlon. “So they cut the heroin with fentanyl, and it’s more lethal.”

Scanlon said progress is being made with a bill he’s co-sponsoring calling for seven-day amounts of prescriptive opioid pills for non-chronic pain, to cut back on access to excess pills. He noted 85 percent of abusers start out using pills.

“So if you get your wisdom teeth out and you’re a college kid, no more are you going to get 50 of these pills you need three or four of,” said Scanlon, adding doctors would also be required to explain to both teens and their parents the dangers of the drugs.

“If we pass it, we will be the second state in nation to do this. It will make a big difference in getting these powerful drugs off the streets,” said Scanlon.

In 2015, Scanlon co-sponsored a bill which he helped usher into law requiring doctors to undergo continuing education on prescribing pain pills. Doctors are also required to check patient records on a state-run data base to ensure patients in need of pain pills for 72 hours or more aren’t getting concurrent prescriptions from other doctors. The law also allowed pharmacists with proper training (a two-hour class with a $50 fee) to supply a prescriptive nasal spray version of the anti-overdose drug Narcan. However, the cost and time involved deterred many pharmacists from signing on; so the new seven-day bill includes a provision allowing for a standing order for all pharmacists to give the nasal spray without paying the fee and taking the class, said Scanlon.

Scanlon said families with the ability to use Narcan in the minutes between calling 911 and waiting for help to arrive could save a life.

“I’ve heard so many stories of parents who hear a thud in their child’s room, and their son or daughter is lying on the floor; and they are dying of an overdose,” said Scanlon.

In Branford the average response time to a call is just seven minutes; and EMTs and paramedics carry a version of Narcan. Panel member and Branford EMS Director Mark Testa recommended families with Narcan call 911 first to ensure professional help is on its way, then give the spray to the overdose victim.

Branford mom and panel member Michele Sember shared a powerful story of her family’s struggle to help her son, RJ, 23, deal with on-going heroin addiction. Sember said RJ, a Branford High School (BHS) Class of 2011 graduate, started experiencing gateway drugs, including marijuana and opioid pills, as a teen.

“These pills were not purchased on some corner in New Haven,” said Sember. “The pills, and later heroin, were bought right here in Branford.”

More of Sember’s talk is posted as a video at www.facebook.com/thesoundct

First Selectman James B. Cosgrove, Branford Police Chief Kevin Halloran and State Representative Lonnie Reed (D, District 102, Branford) were among those listening in on March 29 as Scanlon led a panel including Sember, local law and emergency medical responders, medical and social services experts and government agency leaders.

All of the panelists said they did not support legalizing marijuana. They also concurred the state’s recent reduction of the legal amount of marijuana a person can carry, together the rise of medical marijuana growers and distributors sanctioned by the state, sends the wrong message to kids. Parents who find one or two joints in their child’s possession may hear their kids say it’s harmless, or even, “...it’s medicine, get off my back,” said panelist Marlene McGann, Executive Director of South Central Connecticut Substance Abuse. “The message they’re getting is it’s already legal,” said McGann.

Dr. J. Craig Allen, Medical Director at Rushford Center, shared some signs a person withdrawing from abuse pain pills or heroin, saying “...think of it as horrible, terrible flu,” said Allen, adding signs of addiction include, “...irritability insomnia, pupils dilated when withdrawing and pinpoints when using.”

Other panelist included Nancy Navarretta, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services; Tom Corniello, Vice President of Clinical Services at BH Care; Branford Police Capt. Geoffrey Morgan, Branford Police Detective Art Ferris, Branford Fire Dept. and Branford Firefighter/Paramedic Amanda Mark.

Branford Police reported one heroin-related overdose death in 2014, two in 2015 and one to date in this year, a 19 year-old resident. Captain Morgan stressed users don’t start with heroin but instead reach that level of substance abuse through gateway drugs including marijuana, prescription pills and alcohol.

“Ninety percent of the time, marijuana or other drugs are a gateway drug,” said Morgan. “So please draw that hard line on alcohol use, marijuana use or even sharing medications in your household.”

He also asked community members to be more vigilant, saying, “...if you see something, say something.” Branford Police Dept. has an anonymous tip line at (203) 315-3909.

Detective Art Ferris, who leads the department’s Youth Division, suggested getting on the Internet to become familiarized with drug paraphernalia. He said most heroin is sold for about $5 in packaging that can be recognized with a simple Google search. Together with Branford Police, Branford Public Schools hosted an FBI-led class with all BHS freshmen, “Chasing the Dragon” which discussed the dangers of opioid and heroin use.

Scanlon said the process of battling the epidemic will be long, with many avenues to address, but added starting a conversation in the community is an important step.

“If tonight we save at least one person, we will have done a great service, and we’re doing that primarily by talking about it. We’re ending the stigma by being here tonight and talking about it. This addiction is not just targeting young people... it’s everybody,” said Scanlon.