Martin

Town officials at the last minute canceled but said they plan to reschedule a forum on fighting drug abuse that was to have been held Thursday evening at Town Hall. It would have featured Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan along with Prevention Service Manager Anna Martin and other staffers of of the town Health and Human Services Department.

YourArlington was told that there may have been a conflict with other local events and that therefore the forum is to be postponed to later this autumn.

The forum is primarily to announce plans for the approximately $1.2 million that Arlington hopes to get over several years to cope with the impact that the opioid crisis has had on the town. That amount is just one small portion of a relatively recent nationwide deal between governmental authorities and opioid producers/distributors.

The town earlier this year appointed Martin as Arlington’s prevention service manager, to to help reduce substance abuse in Arlington and provide support for those affected by addiction. The prevention service manager works within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Martin began in this position in May; it was previously held by Kayla Vodka. According to the town, Martin’s duties include facilitating conversations and decisions around incoming funding for preventing and treating substance use and reducing harm in the community. 

The mission of the health department is to protect the health of the public and assist residents with accessing basic human needs. Learn more about the department here >> 

The town conducted a survey over the summer, requesting participation in its short online survey by July 31, as described here >> A paragraph at the top of the survey says that Massachusetts as a whole soon expects to benefit from "multi-billion-dollar resolutions with opioid producers and distributors that aim to address the opioid crisis by providing funds for prevention, treatment and recovery. The town of Arlington will receive funds from these settlements over 17 years."

Oct 30, 2022: Police step up efforts to curb opioid abuse; seminar held

This news announcement was published between 6 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, based on reports from the field by Brynn O'Connor, assistant to the editor of YourArlington.