The town will soon have another resource that will help those in the community that are being affected by drug abuse, as well as those looking to prevent it.
The Board of Health voted unanimously to incorporate a mailbox outside of the Mary Alley Municipal Building that will contain test strips that are designed to detect the presence of fentanyl in a vast amount of drugs.
The construction of the mailbox was approved at a recent Board of Health meeting and was pushed for by Board member Tom McMahon after talking with Health Director Andrew Petty about finding an easier way to provide these resources to community members.
At the meeting, McMahon, who grew up in Marblehead, said that he has had many personal experiences with people close to him who have been involved with drug use, and that parents should be prepared for the fact that their kids could be too.
“I can tell you, if you don’t think your kids are going to try something that’s laced with fentanyl, you’re most likely wrong,” McMahon said. “If you don’t think they’re going to try it at least once in their life, you’re gambling.”
The test strips, as well as Narcan, are already available to the public through the town’s Health Department. However, Petty said at the meeting that in order to obtain these products currently, residents need to come in person and meet with the public-health nurse.
Petty said that the current procedure could be scaring away community members who may not want to be seen receiving the items. Adding a mailbox outside of the building would create a more private setting for those looking to obtain those resources, he said.
“Obviously the concern is with that, it might be discouraging people from coming to get these products,” he said. “We want to make sure everyone is safe, so we want to try and get these products out there as easily as possible.”
Petty added that the number of test strips in the mailbox will be continuously monitored to make sure the supply meets the demand.
In an interview, McMahon said that he thinks Marblehead might be more at risk to fentanyl and drug use than other communities, despite not appearing to many as a town where drug abuse is widespread.
“You could almost say Marblehead is more susceptible to it than other places because we have the means to get things,” McMahon said.
After the vote, Board Chair Helaine Hazlett said that she was pleased that the board was able to help make resources more easily accessible for those in need.
“I’m glad that we’re doing something to help those that have been in trouble,” Hazlett said.
Spreading awareness on drug abuse and overdoses was something that McMahon said he centered a lot of his campaign on, and he views the addition of the mailbox as a small stepping stone toward addressing a bigger issue.
“Some things are just so easy, low-hanging fruit that can make a big difference,” McMahon said. “Hopefully there’s more of those in the future.”