Bridgewater-Raynham Forum:

'WE ARE IN THE CENTER OF A HEROIN EPIDEMIC'

Kevin grew up in a loving family in an affluent local community.
He experimented with marijuana and alcohol in junior high, then advanced to
cocaine, LSD and prescription pills in high school. In college, he became
hooked on OxyContin, a drug he calls "pharmaceutical heroin."
Now clean and sober for a year, Kevin, 26, told his story to about 50 people
at a forum Thursday night at Bridgewater-Raynham High School called "Not My
Child: Heroin and OxyContin in Our Town."

"This is a problem in our society that we need to address," said B-R
Principal Jeff Granatino. "Some schools chose to bury their head in
the sand ... but we're like any other town in America, these issues
exist." The forum included a movie of an addict shooting heroin, a
hands-on display by the Bridgewater Police Department of drugs seized
in drug busts, and a four-person panel of people who spoke of their
first-hand experience with addiction. "Kids are going from drinking to
OxyContin," said Kevin, whose last name was kept private.

The forum came amid alarm over a sharp rise in heroin overdose deaths
in the region: - Last year, state police investigated 22 heroin
deaths, compared with nine in 2004. - The final number of fatal
overdoses could be much higher because it does not include people who
died in hospitals.

"We are in the center of a heroin epidemic," said Carol Kowalski,
director of High Point, an addiction treatment center in Brockton and
Plymouth. The addicts are mostly between 17 and 26 years old, she
said. Experts say OxyContin, a prescription pain killer, is highly
addictive when used as a recreational drug. After getting hooked on
OxyContin, many addicts soon turn to heroin, a cheaper and more
readily available alternative. "(Young people) sit around and drink at
first, then OxyContin is the next fun thing for them to try," said
Kowalski.

Joanne Peterson, a Raynham resident whose son became addicted to
OxyContin and then heroin, led the panel. She was shocked to discover
he was an addict. "It was like my whole world fell apart right then
and there," she said. "I had no idea what to do."

From her experience, Peterson founded Learn to Cope
(www.learn2cope.org), a support group for parents of children using
heroin or OxyContin. The group has 280 members mostly from
Massachusetts, but is growing nationwide. It meets weekly in Stoughton.

Another panelist, Yvonne, said her daughter also started with
OxyContin and turned to heroin.

After close to 30 recovery attempts, her child went out of state for
treatment to get away from reminders that can cause addicts to relapse
- - seeing someone who uses or deals, passing a place where you can
score a fix, hearing a song that reminds you of your last high.

"This little pill will end life as they know it forever," said Yvonne,
whose last name was also kept private.

Ted, another panelist, said he tried desperately to get his son some
help but was unsuccessful. His son overdosed on heroin last year.
"This drug is here and it's here to stay unless we get rid of it,"
said Ted. "They're not bad kids, they're just getting caught up in
things that they can't control," he said. "We just have to educate
them." A pattern of changes in behavior can signal a drug problem,
such as:

- - Changes in mood.

- - Dropping old friends and hanging out with new people. - Loss of
interest in physical appearance.

- - Lack of energy, more sleeping. - Dropping out of activities at
school.

- - Decline in school grades. - Trouble concentrating or sitting still,
such as during a movie. - Frequent quick phone calls and quick visits
from friends. - Items disappearing from the home, such as cash,
jewelry, electronics, CDs and DVDs. - Missing bottle caps or kitchen
spoons, used with heroin. - Bone or muscle pain, flu-like symptoms,
diarrhea, vomiting. The forum was sponsored by B-R High School, the
Bridgewater Police Department and the Plymouth County district
attorney's office.