"The Opioid Crisis is real, it is now, and it is here," says Newtown Prevention Council (NPC) Co-Chair and Health District Director Donna Culbert.The Newtown Bee this week as she and her co-chairs, along with NPC leadership and supporters, complete planning for an August 31 gathering to promote information sharing and action planning.International Overdose Awareness Day, which is devoted to raising awareness about substance abuse and reducing the stigma associated with drug addiction.community wide e-bulletin regarding concerns with opioid/heroin use and an alarming growth in overdose events.

Ms Culbert, along with her co-chairs, Police Chief James Viadero and Parks & Recreation Director Amy Mangold, knows that anyone who has experienced the anguish of opioid addiction affecting a friend or loved ones knows all too well that the crisis is very real.

"The number of those who have not felt its impact is shrinking," Ms Culbert told

Chief Viadero said that for far too long the issue of opiate proliferation and addiction was thought to be purely a law enforcement responsibility.

"But most recently, as is evident in Newtown, an entire community response on a multifaceted level is needed," he said. "I feel confident that as a community we are taking proactive steps to address the issue and will have a profound impact. I believe that acknowledging the fact that we, as a community, have an issue that must be addressed is the first step."Most immediately, the NPC is fast-tracking plans to host a community forum on the issue so residents can get a frontline idea of how the epidemic of opioid and heroin abuse is affecting Newtown.

Not coincidentally, the August 31 NPC leadership session is happening on

"On August 31, NPC members and other community members will come together to review the community's current local efforts and resources, to learn more about the state's Opioid Response Plan, how larger efforts and resources can help residents, and to finalize plans for a local community forum," Ms Culbert said.

Plans are to include a panel of speakers who can talk firsthand about their experiences in crisis response, health care, treatment, and recovery and give attendees opportunity to ask questions and voice their thoughts and concerns.

"We need to have our community embrace this issue, understand its complexity, we need to own it as our 'family' problem - our family being Newtown - and take focused action," the health director said.

Chief Viadero said previous similar forums he has attended as chief in Middlebury, and as a longtime member of the Bridgeport Police Department, were very useful because they brought in individuals who have had experiences with a substance dependency and are more than willing to share these experiences with parents, educators, and students.

"The Newtown community forum panel will consist of law enforcement, medical professionals, and individuals in recovery," he said. "Awareness and education area key components to battling this issue of opiate dependency. As a long-serving law enforcement officer in both an urban and rural setting I can attest to the fact that we cannot 'arrest' our way out of this problem."

The Newtown police chief said that enforcement action is definitely one element of combating the issue, but community involvement, education, funding, and "thinking out of the box" as it pertains to solutions are all essential elements.

"Having served in [Bridgeport] for almost 30 years, I can attest to the fact that the current opiate/heroin issue is not only evident in an urban setting; we have experienced an uptick in overdoses and have seen an increase in its usage at a concerning pace in suburban and rural communities," he said.

First Selectman Pat Llodra recently circulated a

"I think everyone has a role in the care and health of our community - actions that we can take in small and large ways," Ms Culbert added. "We will spread the word and look for full attendance at the community wide forum in the fall to empower our residents to be part of the solution."