The Patriot Ledger
By: Jessica Trufant

QUINCY – Quincy College will host a panel discussion on substance abuse and the opiate crisis with Mayor Thomas Koch, Quincy police Lt. Patrick Glynn and other officials at noon Thursday.

The Quincy College Addiction Awareness Club will hold the event, “Substance Abuse Symposium: End the Stigma,” in the lower-level conference room at the school’s Quincy campus, 1250 Hancock St. The event is free and open to the public.
The panel will be moderated by Kristen McLaughlin, president of the Quincy College Addiction Awareness Club, and will feature the following panelists: Mayor Thomas Koch; the Rev. James Hawker, a member of the Quincy College board of governors; Quincy police Lt. Patrick Glynn; Kevin Rosario, regional outreach representative for Gosnold on Cape Cod; and Tara Buonanno Williams, Mrs. Massachusetts 2016.

On hand to provide information on support services will be representatives from a number of community groups, including the Gavin Foundation, A New Way Recovery Center, MOAR, Adcare, Spectrum, Baystate Community Services, Learn to Cope and Gosnold on Cape Cod.

Marisa Carson and another Quincy College student who is in recovery will speak at the event. Carson started the Quincy College Addiction Awareness Club in the fall of 2015 to create a safe space on the school’s campus where anyone can get support or information.

“We certainly are not replacing clinical, medical advice, but we provide a network of support for Quincy College students,” Carson said in a press release. “Club discussions have included the benefits of having a sponsor, getting someone connected to recovery programs, or providing them with a list of local detoxes.”

Online Article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20160426/NEWS/160427146