On Island, a documentary about substance use disorders on Martha’s Vineyard, premieres this Friday, illuminating stories of Islanders who have battled addiction.
Most Islanders believe addiction is a serious problem on Martha’s Vineyard, but a survey of community attitudes found that many also see a general attitude of permissiveness.
Martha’s Vineyard is set to become a laboratory for social change, as a broad coalition of Islanders prepares to launch a public health campaign aimed at combating the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
When a person is struggling with a substance use disorder on the Island, police officers are often among the first to know. Recently Edgartown police have begun to take a more intentional approach.
Community Services has been awarded $400,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to open a recovery support center in partnership with the Island hospital.
Leaders at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services signed off on a long-planned agreement this week that clears the way for use of the building known as the Red House.
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services has spent more than a year working on a plan in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to establish a new short-term outpatient care facility to cope with the problem and provide a new option for treating substance abuse.
Citing a community effort to counter teenage drinking, the Youth Task Force announced last week that a youth behavior survey shows a decrease in alcohol use by Island teens, though the rates are slightly higher than the national average.
But they also cited concern about a rise in marijuana use, saying that the legalization of marijuana has contributed to increased use by teenagers.
