HATFIELD – On Thursday evening, a nationally-recognized expert on addiction will speak at Smith Academy in Hatfield. Western Massachusetts native Dr. Ruth Potee will educate parents, students and the public on how drugs impact the brain in a presentation entitled: “The Physiology of Addiction.”
The talk will inform students and parents about how to be proactive and keep teens substance-free, as well how to handle a situation in which a family member or friend is battling addiction.
Dr. Potee is a physician at Valley Medical group specializing in both family medicine and addiction medicine. She’s also chairwoman of the Healthcare Solutions of the Opioid Taskforce of Franklin County and medical director at Franklin County House of Corrections.
Potee is an outspoken expert on addiction, specifically on opioids. She has given many interviews and presentations about addiction and even talked with the late chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain about addiction in a 2015 video he made about Massachusetts.
In Potee’s previous presentations, she’s talked about how addiction is a disease and explained why it should be treated more like one.
The Franklin County Jail – where Potee is the medical director – has been credited with making strides in addressing addiction by giving inmates access to medication-assisted treatment since 2016, a potential contributing reason why Franklin County saw 60 percent less opioid deaths in 2017.
“Addiction is a real disease and it affects a lot of people and families,” said Andrew Berrios, Smith Academy Principal. “I think education is our most powerful tool to impart them with knowledge to make good decisions.”
He cited the opioid epidemic specifically as a major reason to host the event, which is funded by the Hatfield Police Department and takes places from 6 to 8 pm in the Sherry A. Webb Gymnasium at Smith Academy. The talk is open to the public but those interested in attending must RSVP on Smith Academy’s website by early next week.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com