Opioid Coalition |

Rep. Roy serves as an Emeritus member of the SAFE Coalition. SAFE is a coalition of community partners who have come together to provide support, education, treatment options, and coping mechanisms for those affected by substance abuse disorder. We do so by empowering those affected, including their families, with the tools necessary to succeed on their journey to recovery. We understand that while I can’t, we can.

You can view SAFE’s website by clicking here.

SAFE has produced a number of programs and videos on substance use disorder which you can find below. Please browse through the list and click on any video to watch the program.

Dr. John Kelly

Dr. John Kelly, Harvard professor and Massachusetts General Hospital addiction expert, spoke at our second coalition meeting about the mechanisms of, and strategies for, combating and de-stigmatizing substance abuse disorders.

We had a great turnout for the talk about addiction which Dr. Kelly noted is caused by several factors, including genetic predisposition and exposure to the drug itself. Drugs, Kelly said, can short-circuit the reward pathways of the brain and cause the release of dopamine, a chemical that causes pleasure. “When a person is addicted, they can’t sense the normal levels or reward,” he said. “This dysphoria means people find it extra hard to stop using the only thing they remember will help them.” You can watch the full video below:

SAFE’s First Forum

State legislators, medical experts and officials from the town’s school district and police department met on June 30, 2015 to garner local solutions to the state’s opioid epidemic. You can see the video of the event by clicking on the video below. The public session began the conversation about establishing a direction for the new community coalition that aims to create a support network for residents struggling with addiction. Franklin’s coalition joins more than a dozen other groups active in cities and towns throughout Norfolk County, all of which are overseen by District Attorney Michael Morrissey.