Sheriff’s Office, Young Marines Host Event on Addiction

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Southern Maryland Young Marine Units collaborated to offer the first local screening of “Chasing the Dragon,” a documentary about opioid and heroin addiction, on Oct. 18, 2016. The screening was part of an effort by law enforcement and community agencies such as Walden Behavioral Health to stem the tide of opioid and heroin abuse and was attended by more than 230 members of the community.

“Chasing the Dragon” is a joint production of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, created to raise awareness about heroin and opioid abuse in the US. It covers several case studies of people who either became addicted to opiates themselves or had family members who were addicted.

Members of the State Attorney’s Office for St. Mary’s County, the FBI, the DEA, and the Attorney General’s Office, also spoke at the forum on behalf of their respective agencies.

Following those presentations, local panelists, including St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Commander Capt. Alioto, St. Mary’s County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Smith, St. Mary’s County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Meenakshi Brewster, and CEO of Walden Dr. Kathleen O’ Brien, discussed how law enforcement and community agencies have worked together, shared drug abuse statistics, and provided information on the scope of the local heroin epidemic.

“It never gets any easier for a deputy sheriff standing in someone’s living room, searching for the right words to tell a family member when their loved one has died,” Capt. Alioto said. “A death that stems from a drug overdose is extremely difficult. As parents we hold on to hope, lean on our faith, and pray that this time it will be different. For every person we educate on the deadly consequences of opioid abuse, we may be saving another family, and for us, the men and women of the sheriff’s office, this is exactly why we will continue to identify trends, tactics, and ways to connect with each segment of the population.”

Laura Webb, recovery and support director for Walden, spoke before the screening.

“Heroin and opioid misuse is not glamorous or harmless,” Ms. Webb said. “We need your help to inform our communities about its true nature — much of which we will see in the film this evening. We need the help of community members who are concerned enough to make a difference. Your attendance here today is a sign of our shared concerns and joint commitment to that goal.”

Resources and information were made available to attendees at the event. Each person who attended received a copy of the documentary and was encouraged throughout the presentation to use it as a tool to start neighborhood discussions. As Ms. Webb reminded them, “one of the biggest parts of getting help for people already suffering and ending the epidemic is educating those around us.”

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron thanked the members of the public who attended the forum and recognized the Young Marines for their drug reduction efforts. “They are the recipients of the DEA’s prestigious Enrique ‘Kiki Camarena’ award for their work as a unit in promoting Red Ribbon Week and spreading the prevention message … through peer to peer education and community awareness.”

After the event, attendees were offered Overdose Response Program (Naloxone) Training. The training was hosted by the St. Mary’s County Health Department. Each person trained received a Naloxone kit. “The response for the training was overwhelming – every seat was filled that night,” Capt. Alioto said. “Overall the event was a complete success and the only downside was that our Naloxone training was filled to capacity and there were so many more attendees looking to participate.”

For more information about Walden Behavioral Health, visit their Leader Member Page.