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SHE TRIPPED HER CAR -- FLIPPED
HER CAR.
NEIGHBORS SPOTTED AN OPEN BEER
BOTTLE IN THE CAR.
DISTURBING NUMBERS ABOUT
HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE IN
MASSACHUSETTS ARE STRUGGLING
WITH OPIOID ABUSE.
1100 PEOPLE DIED FROM
OVERDOSES IN OUR STATE LAST
YEAR.
BUT MORE CONCERNING, 57,000
PEOPLE RECEIVED OPIOID RELATED
TREATMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS
HOSPITALS IN 2014, DOUBLE WHAT
IT WAS SEVEN YEARS EARLIER.
THE TWO LOCAL HOSPITALS ARE
BRINGING IN HELP TO COPE WITH
THE GROWING DEMAND.
BILL SHIELDS HAS THAT EXCLUSIVE
STORY FOR US ALL NEW AT 6:00.
Reporter: THE TREMBLING HAND
IS THE HAND OF A WOMAN WHO JUST
OVERDOSED.
SHE'S AT SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL.
AND ONCE SHE'S STABILIZED
PATRICK KENT WANTS TO TALK WITH
HER TO GET HER HELP.
THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY HAVE
SOMEONE IN THEIR CORNER TO HELP
NOT ONLY THEM BUT THE FAMILY
UNIT.
THEN I'VE DONE MY JOB.
Reporter: HE'S WHAT THEY
CALL A RECOVERY COACH.
HE TRIES TO HELP THE ADDICT
BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE HOSPITAL.
I CAN MAKE PHONE CALLS ON
YOUR BEHALF.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ADVOCATE.
IF SOMEONE OVERDOSES OR
NEARLY OVERDOSES, WHEN THEY ARE
AT THE HOSPITAL, THEY ARE MORE
LIKELY TO BE OPEN TO TREATMENT.
Reporter: THE ADDICTION HAS
DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS AND
INUNDATED EMERGENCY ROOMS.
THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE
INCREASE IS TO GET PEOPLE INTO
TREATMENT.
THIS IS A 10 TO 15-YEAR ISSUE.
Reporter: IN THE PAST WHEN
LEAVING THE EMERGENCY ROOM,
ADDICTS ARE GIVEN A PHONE
NUMBER.
PATRICK KENT IS NOW THE
ADDICT'S ADVOCATE.
I'LL CALL THEM THE NEXT DAY
AND THE FOLLOWING DAY.
Reporter: IT'S PART OF A
LONG-TERM PLAN.
IT BRINGS INTERVENTION INTO
THE MAINSTREAM MEDICAL CARE.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO
NEXT IS REALLY MOVE IT BEYOND
THAT.
IT'S JUST A PILOT PROGRAM
RIGHT NOW.
WITH THE *** ADDICTION