Photo: WBZ NewsRadio / Carl Stevens
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — An exhibit about the effects of the opioid epidemic opened at the State House on Tuesday.
The exhibit, called “Voices of Resilience,” focuses on how communities across Massachusetts have been impacted by the opioid crisis.
“Voices of Resilience" highlights different pictures and stories about people’s experiences with the opioid crisis across the state.
Carly Bridden is the Project Director at the HEALing Communities Study of Massachusetts, which put together “Voices of Resilience.”
“We’re hoping that folks from across the state are here to see exactly what people in their community are seeing and how they feel the opioid epidemic is impacting their community,” she told WBZ’s Carl Stevens.
“Many people know individuals in their family, friends or in their towns that are impacted by substance use disorder. And having people share their personal views can help reduce stigma,” said Bridden.
The exhibit was organized by the HEALing Communities Study, which was launched by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2019.
The HEALing Communities Study was created to understand and test how community-engaged intervention impacts opioid dose deaths.
“The goal of the study is to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths by 40 percent over the course of three years,” per the National Institutes of Health’s website. “Research sites are partnering with 67 communities highly affected by the opioid crisis in four states to measure the impact of these efforts,” which includes the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts.
The exhibit is on display in Nurses Hall in the Massachusetts State House until Jan. 12.
WBZ's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
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