WeHa Council Commits Cash To Prevent Drug Use In Town

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The town is planning a major push in the coming months to keep residents and children off drugs, with the West Hartford Town Council committing funding last week to do just that.

Council members on Feb. 27 unanimously approved a $25,000 appropriation of funds received from the national opioid settlement to help financially assist West Hartford prevention programs and awareness campaigns.

The funding comes from a national settlement between states and the pharmaceutical industry last year, with about $26 billion being distributed to states nationwide.

Center to that dispute was the widespread prescription and marketing efforts for dangerous opioids that took place over the years.

Prior use of opioid settlement funds allowed West Hartford to create a new, part-time prevention coordinator position last November to work out of the town's social services department. Gretchen Levitz was hired for that role.

According to a resolution approved last week, the coordinator is planning to increase public outreach and awareness programs in partnership with multiple local agencies, including the West Hartford Prevention Council; West Hartford Prevention Partnership; West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District; West Hartford Public Schools; and the Bridge Family Center.

The funding will come out of the town's "miscellaneous revenue" account and be transferred to the town's "special events" line item.

West Hartford Town Manager Rick Ledwith said those funds would be used for programs such as "Youth Skate Night" at Veterans Memorial Ice Rink, wellness fairs, and mental health awareness initiatives.

"Programs like that will be the beneficiary of these funds," Ledwith said.

Councilperson Debra Polun, who heads the council's human and community services committee, said the appropriation gives some financial backing to the new coordinator's job.

"Now that we have that person on board, we want to give that person a budget to do some things to promote prevention and awareness of opioids and other initiatives," Polun said.

For the minutes of the Feb. 27 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For more information on the approved resolution, click on this link and scroll to Page 527.