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East Bridgewater HS requiring drug awareness meeting for all athletes

EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — On Wednesday evening, student athletes and parents will file into a room in East Bridgewater High School for a life lesson that has nothing to do with sports.

"It's important we try to target the younger crowd and even the parents so they can educate the kids," said Patrick Leonard, the East Bridgewater athletic director.

The town's police department and school officials are making a drug awareness meeting mandatory in order to play a school-sponsored sport.

Two speakers will share their stories of addiction and loss at the high school auditorium. One speaker is a former New England Patriot who battled drug addiction after an injury. The other speaker lost his brother to the opioid epidemic.

“To launch a conversation that hopefully will continue at the dining room table with the families,” said Principal Brian Duffey.

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While the topic is serious, the school is taking an education versus scare tactic approach.

"It’s really an attempt to try to provide information and let students know we care about them,” said Duffey.

Ben Higgins is entering ninth grade and plans to play soccer. His mother and brother will be at the meeting Wednesday night.

"I think there are a lot of things that are going on in their world that they need to be aware of as students and athletes,” said Trista Higgins, Ben’s mother.

The community access channel is going to record the speakers and provide a link so students and parents who cannot be there can still watch and meet the requirement.

"I think the parents also need to be aware and educated, so I think it's a great way to do that,” said Higgins.

On Tuesday, the state released its second quarterly opioid report, which shows that while deaths are down, fentanyl is up.