BOH taking on Kratom
aka gas station heroin
The Norwood Board of Health (BOH) met recently and discussed new issues facing the Town, including what’s known as “gas station heroin.”
Members and Health Department Director Stacey Lane discussed the proliferation of the currently legal drug Kratom, aka gas station heroin. Kratom is a synthetic opiate mimetic, which is very dangerous and addictive. It has similar effects and withdrawal symptoms to regular opiates. BOH Chair Kathleen Bishop pointed out that it is 13 times stronger than morphine, Narcan can not reverse an overdose like it can with opioids, and it is completely unregulated.
“It’s also non-FDA approved, which means they can put anything they want in it,” Bishop said.
Unwilling to wait for the federal or state government to step in, BOH member Carolyn Riccardi expressed she felt there was an urgent need to ban Kratom immediately in Norwood.
"I think they’re hand should be slapped really hard," she said, referring to shops that sell the drug.
Riccardi insisted fines must be severe and include closing the business of any violator for seven days.
"Seven days for a business to be closed is a lot of money, on top of a thousand dollar fine," Bishop added.
There will be public hearings on potential Kratom rules and regulations at the next Board of Health Meeting.
In other news, Norwood Public Health Nurse, Diane Hillery, warned in her report of a new COVID-19 variant expected to hit the area hard in July. Regarding COVID-19 booster vaccines she advised:”If you’ve had six months at least between your vaccines if you want to get another one you totally can, and if you’re immunocompromised I would definitely go ahead and get an additional vaccine.”
Hillery also added that flu and COVID-19 cases are still high in general, not including the expected incoming variant, so she did advise getting the booster.
The Board also discussed a confirmed case of measles at Logan Airport and several other cases confirmed throughout the region. Hillery also noted they are well stocked with free Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccines for any children from any town who have not received them yet. Fortunately, the Norwood Public Schools District has reported 100 percent vaccination rates in all schools.
Norwood Health Department Sanitarian Kyle Simpson gave the monthly health inspector report. In regards to the report, Riccardi said she was quite interested to find out if IHop had fixed a previously reported "odor issue" in the restaurant. Simpson reported that it was being addressed by fixing pipes of unknown origin.
Also of interest to Norwood residents the Norfolk County 8 Community Health Survey is out. The survey is designed to collect information to help better direct public resources within the eight participating communities. To take the survey, visit https://gvimes.link/norwoodhealthsurv
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