The Town of Amherst held a meeting Wednesday night to highlight a little-discussed topic: heroin and drug use in the suburbs.
Police say last year 17 people in the town died of overdoses, and 13 of those were related to heroin or fentanyl.
Avi Israel knows all too well how painful addiction can be. His son Michael killed himself after Israel said he couldn't live with his addiction to pain pills anymore.
"He was on a host of pills for his Crohn's Disease. He had a plethora of pills that was just handed out to him," Israel explained. "I want people to know that there's a danger in taking some medication."
And many people turn from those pills to heroin. That's why Town of Amherst officials say it's time to come together to talk about the topic, and search for solutions.
Parents whose kids are not addicted to drugs also attended the meeting. They said it was a wake-up call, and they're glad it's being discussed.
"Knowing that there are programs out there and facilities that can help people; that's good to know," explained Dawn Cerra.
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