Tewksbury resident joined team visit to DEA: Bringing the message of the addiction crisis to DC

http://homenewshere.com/tewksbury_town_crier/news/article_77006d70-3677-11e7-a4bc-4796e2e82296.html

TEWKSBURY — A group of 20 Massachusetts parents who have lost loved ones to the disease of addiction joined forces with the Wahl­berg brothers’ documentary team to bring a message to Washington DC. The group visited the US Drug En­forcement Agency (DEA) headquarters to provide a special showing of the drug use and abuse documentary If Only.

Their intent was to continue the conversation about how to fight this country’s drug epidemic. Tewksbury resident Steven R. Goodell was among the attendees. Goodell and his wife, Lois, lost their son, Robert, to the disease of addiction on Oct. 19, 2015. Robert was only 21 years old.

“We had a private meeting with Interim Director Chuck Rosenberg,” explains Good­ell. “He shook the hand of everyone in the room, and he asked us our names and looked at the pictures of our loved ones lost.”

Rosenberg told the group about DEA and his background. Then he asked the parents what concerns and questions they had.

Goodell says, “The meeting did not end until every question was answered; his em­pathy and hands on ap­proach were quite impressive.”

After the private meeting, the parents joined DEA employees in a large standing room only auditorium. The event was simulcast live to 300 agencies around the world. James Wahlberg, a key sponsor of the film and this event in DC, spoke about the devastating opiate epidemic and the background of the movie If Only.

The making of the movie was sponsored by the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and Millennium Health. It is a short film intended for teens, parents and adults to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and abuse. It discusses the safe use, storage and disposal of prescription drugs to keep them out of the hands of children.

The film was written by James Wahlberg and Mi­chael Yebba. Marc Gins­burg, Tewksbury resident and owner of the Tewksbury Country Club, was one of the producers. Wahlberg spent time here in town filming the documentary, and Tewks­bury locations and residents were used in the production.

Goodell reports that he has seen Wahlberg talk about the drug epidemic many times. Wahlberg’s passion and com­mitment is unwavering.

Referring to the goals of the DEA visit Wahlberg or­chestrated, Goodell says, “I think most importantly it gives the DEA people new energy to see firsthand what they are fighting for.”

For more information on the movie including how you can host a showing, visit www.ifonlymovie.org

 

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