December 3 , 2004

Charlestown fights back against substance abuse

From 1999 to 2002, the average annual death rate from substance abuse in
Charlestown was nearly 50 percent higher than the rest of Boston. To tackle the
problem of substance abuse — particularly heroin and OxyContin — among young people in Charlestown, the community worked with the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center and the MGH Community Benefits Program to create the Charlestown Substance Abuse Coalition (CSAC).

Local residents began meeting last winter to talk about how to address the growing drug problem. The community requested that the health center and Community Benefits coordinate the efforts and provide technical assistance and resources. Peggy Carolan, administrative director of MGH Charlestown, and Joan Quinlan, director of MGH Community Benefits, have been part of the steering committee since the inception of the coalition.

As part of this process, CSAC held its first communitywide meeting at MGH Charlestown Nov. 17. More than 100 residents, community activists, representatives
of government, health care and social services agencies, law enforcement and public schools attended.

Mark Eisenberg, MD, of MGH Charlestown, spoke about his years of treatment
experience, the heroin and OxyContin addictions that residents are experiencing and his recent success with a new recovery program. Eisenberg introduced two patients in the recovery program who related their long history of drug addiction. Eileen Keegan, LICSW, of MGH Charlestown, also spoke at the meeting. CSAC already has received a grant from the Boston Public Health Commission to produce a plan by next June to reduce drug abuse in Charlestown.

"The meeting was a very positive and hopeful beginning," said Quinlan. "People seemed energized by the meeting and ready to tackle this problem by working together."