Natick Vigil To Remember Victims Of Substance Use Disorder

NATICK, MA — Natick's annual vigil for people who died as a result of substance-use disorder will come amid a marked rise in drug overdoses — and overdose deaths — in the town. The vigil will also host a tutorial on how to use naloxone, a drug that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose.

The 6th annual Vigil Remembering Those Who Lost Their Lives to Substance Use Disorder is a joint effort sponsored by the Natick Interfaith Clergy Association, Natick 180, SPARK Kindness, SOAR Natick, Natick Community Services, the fire department, the health department, and Natick police.

Natick has seen a surge in overdoses this year. There had been 38 as of mid-October, including three fatalities. There were 33 in all of 2018. The latest fatal overdose happened on Nov. 16 when a 24-year-old woman died at a home. A 25-year-old man was arrested after that incident.

Hundreds of people die each month in Massachusetts of drug overdoses. An estimated 159 died in September alone, according to state data, and over 2,000 died in 2018. Since the beginning of 2016, fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, has been the most frequent drug linked to deadly overdoses.

The vigil is held in December because the holidays can be a particularly tough time for families who have lost a loved one, or because a loved one is in treatment, organizers say.

The group SOAR Natick is collecting items through Dec. 13 to donate to recovery centers. Collection bins are open around Natick, including at town hall, the senior center, the Morse Institute Library, and Natick High School. The group is seeking basics like toiletries, laundry supplies, batteries, snacks, and phone chargers.

Following the vigil, there will be a demonstration on how to use naloxone nasal spray. The health department offers free doses of naloxone to anyone who wants them. Contact the department to set up an appointment to get naloxone.

The vigil begins at 7 p.m. Sunday at First Congregational Church of Natick, 2 East Central St.