June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 47

roparks in the past two years, while
two fatal overdoses occurred in this
time - both passing prior to arrival
by first responders, " she explains.
The West Allis Fire Department administered Narcan to 106
patients (60.4 percent male, 39.6
percent female), in 2015. Strasser
says her park and rec staff recently
underwent training that included
instruction on how to administer
Narcan. " Our biggest challenge is
just educating and training the staff
to be equipped to address the need
should it arise, " she notes. Strasser
adds that other challenges involve
having access to Narcan and then
maintaining proper storage of it.
" We have probably close to 25 different locations where we run programs, " she explains.
Discarded drug syringes in community parks pose a serious threat to
the public and park agencies, as children on playgrounds and park maintenance staff working on-site may encounter sharp, contaminated needles.
" Park districts should be aware of the
hazards associated with discarded
drug abuse instruments or packaging.
Incidental exposure to Fentanyl -
which we have found in the majority of packaged heroin - may be life
threatening, " Gerling warns.
To deter substance abusers from
randomly throwing used syringes
on park grounds or near play areas,
some agencies have elected to install sharps containers in designated areas of the park, like restrooms.
However, Nick Pirelli, former deputy director at Canton Parks and
Recreation in Norfolk County,
Massachusetts, vehemently opposes the idea. He believes openly displaying sharps containers in
parks sends the wrong message to
drug users, who might interpret it
as parks condoning the use of illicit
substances in these public spaces.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WEST ALLIS-WEST MILWAUKEE RECREATION &
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

" Teen Replica Room " designed to teach
families and educators about red flags of
potential teen drug and alcohol abuse.

Instead, Canton Parks and Recreation staff members take a more
proactive approach, with personalized intervention kits that are made
available to anyone who requests
them. These kits include literature
about treatment options and instructions on how to acquire Naloxone from the pharmacy. " When
I give out those kits, the sharps container is in that bag with all the resource pamphlets, " explains Pirelli.
He adds that if they're not promoting it and the individual is willing
to use the receptacle, then staff can
feel confident they are helping.
Prevention, treatment and recovery are top priorities for park agencies, however, many admit those
suffering from this disease find it
difficult to get past the social stigma, which can discourage them
from asking for help or seeking
treatment. " As park and rec people,
I don't think we should be treating
anyone any differently - it's a public health issue, " contends Pirelli.

Education and
Programming Are
Key to Prevention
While parks and rec often serves
as a conduit between drug users
and public health agencies, park
professionals also concentrate on

providing an inclusive, healing environment for children who might
be traumatized by the impact of
addiction. This also includes children suffering from trauma because of poverty, food insecurity,
divorce, mental abuse, physical
abuse and gang violence. What's
more, CDC research suggests that
opioid addiction may be linked to
socioeconomic disparities.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation has
been working to create safer spaces
for children living in lower-income
communities through its Parks After Dark (PAD) program. Launched
in 2010, the PAD program was part
of the Gang Violence Reduction
Initiative to address the gang violence epidemic taking place in Los
Angeles County.
Tina Magakyan, PAD coordinator, says, " Parks After Dark
was designed to address some of
the service gaps that we've seen
in underserved communities. Our
target populations are areas with
high rates of poverty, violence and
obesity - and we know that for a
lot of these communities, they have
fewer resources to encourage physical activity and social gathering.
These parks are typically [community members'] sole resource for

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | J U N E 2 0 1 8 |

Parks & Recreation

June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2018 - Parks & Recreation