The Blanchester Police Department has partnered with the Cincinnati office of the FBI and the owners of the Blanchester Movie Theater to present on March 24 a 45-minute documentary on the opiate epidemic facing our community. Opiates include both prescription drugs and heroin. The intended audience is teenagers and their parents. The film profiles the lives of several people whose lives have been negatively impacted by the drug.

The film, “Chasing the Dragon”, was produced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and was provided to the police department at no cost. According to FBI Director James Comey, “This film may be difficult to watch, but we hope it educates our students and young adults about the tragic consequences that come with abusing these drugs and that it will cause people to think twice before becoming its next victim.”

A person can become addicted to heroin or opiates after even one use. With a danger like that lurking in our community, I want to make sure we get the facts out to our parents and kids to make sure they clearly understand how dangerous this is. We’re not talking about smoking a joint here, we’re talking about a drug that literally takes hold of you and can quickly ruin your life.

The movie will be shown at the Blanchester Movie Theater, 115 E. Main St., at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24. Due to limited seating, each person must have a free “door pass” to be admitted to the theater. “Door passes” are available, for free, at the Mayor’s office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. or from the police station from 8-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We are extremely grateful to the owners of the theater, who repeatedly and vehemently refused any compensation for the use of their facility or the services of their staff.