East Bridgewater Junior Senior High School– This morning, a program sponsored by the East Bridgewater Police, the East Bridgewater School Department and EB HOPE was attentively recieved by all EBPS students in grades 7 through 12th grades. The presenters, Dr. Daniel Muse of Brockton’s Signature Healthcare and William Scannell, a Bridgewater resident and local attorney talked with the EBPS students about substance use disorders, concussions, injuries and their correlation to today’s Opioid Epidemic.
Mr Scannell’s story hits especically close to home, as he talked to the students about his son Emmett’s death at age 20, to an Opioid overdose this past April while away at college on a full academic scholarship. Mr Scannell resides in Bridgeawater and Emmett graduated from Bridgewater Raynham High School in 2014.
EBJSHS Principal Frank Devall opened the program for the students followed by brief comments from East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen before turning the program over to Dr Muse and ending with Mr Scannell. Dr Muse is the creator of the “SportsSmart Program” that was presented to East Bridewater students and parents last year. This year’s program focused some on concussions and injuries but with more attention to the current Opioid epidemic.
There is an evening session scheduled for tonight which is open to anyone, including parents of EBPS students. Tonight’s session will include Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz in additon to Dr Muse and Mr Scannell. EBPD, EBPS, and EB HOPE encourage and ask all residents, parents, and concerned citizens to attend tonight’s important community program about this community public health crisis. Tonight’s program starts at 6:30 pm at EBJSHS auditorium. EB HOPE and its Drop-In Center partner organizations will be present in the lobby with handouts and other information for those seeking help and/or to learn more about this epidemic.