Jonathan Law High School Hosts US Senator Murphy for Film

From the Office of U.S. Senator Chris Murphy:

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly for a screening of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict” at the Jonathan Law High School in Milford. “Chasing the Dragon” is a documentary released by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to help educate students and young adults about the dangers of opioid addiction. After the movie, there was a panel discussion with Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Spector, DEA Special Agent Dana Mofason, and Bill Phillips, a Milford resident and father of Ryan Phillips who died from a drug overdose in 2014.

“This documentary is a wake-up call,” said Senator Murphy. “I’ve talked to too many mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters whose lives have been torn apart by opioid addition. It’s a crisis in Connecticut and across the country. I’m proud of our law enforcement officials who work every day to rein in the epidemic and talk to young people about the real dangers of drugs like heroin. Through education and expanding access to treatment, we can prevent future tragedies.”

U.S. Attorney Daly said, “In light of an unprecedented number of overdose deaths particularly of young people, our office is devoting significant resources to the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for illegally distributing heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioids. At the same time, we recognize that no single approach can solve this problem. Prevention and treatment are equally important to tackling what is unquestionably a public health crisis. Therefore, many of our federal prosecutors are partnering with schools to raise awareness in students of the dangers of opioid use. This week, in addition to Jonathan Law High School in Milford, we have presented the FBI/DEA Chasing the Dragon film to high school students in New Haven and will present to additional high schools in Danbury, Cheshire, Plymouth and New Haven in upcoming weeks. In total, over a quarter of our office has partnered with many middle and high schools throughout the State to help ensure that this message is heard.”

Last year, 729 Connecticut residents died as a result of a drug overdose. Now, more Americans are dying from drug overdoses than from car crashes. Murphy has called on Congress to pass his bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which will expand federal resources and improve coordination for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

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